Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the plenary session at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin and called for a united global fight against terrorism. 

During the address, PM Modi delivered a strong message against terrorism, with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the room, calling it the “gravest threat” facing humanity and urging member nations to adopt a policy of zero tolerance. “Terrorism and extremism are a joint challenge for humanity. No country or society can consider itself safe as long as these threats persist,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi’s remarks came in a sharp reference to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. “We saw a very bad face of terrorism in Pahalgam," said PM Modi and questioned the global silence on state-backed terrorism. “Can open support for terrorism by some countries ever be acceptable to us?."

“We must make it clear that double standards in dealing with terrorism are not acceptable,” he added. 

“Terrorism and extremism are a joint challenge for humanity. Any country, any society cannot feel safe while these threats exist," PM Modi said, adding that "There can be no compromise on terrorism. We must condemn it in all forms. Zero tolerance against cross-border terrorism is our duty towards humanity."

PM Modi invites global powers to be part of India's development journey. "Today, India is moving ahead following the mantra of Reform, Perform and Transform... We have tried to turn every challenge into an opportunity... I invite all of you to be a part of India's development journey," he said.