Leaders of BRICS nations on Sunday strongly condemned the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
In a joint declaration at the summit in Rio de Janeiro, the leaders described terrorism as “criminal and unjustifiable”, regardless of motive or perpetrators.
“We express strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens,” the declaration said.
BRICS leaders reiterated that terrorism must not be associated with any faith or identity and called for strict accountability.
“We reiterate that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group and that all those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with relevant national and international law.”
“We urge zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering it. We stress the primary responsibility of States in combating terrorism and that global efforts must comply with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant conventions on human rights, refugees and humanitarian law,” the declaration added.
All 11 BRICS leaders signed the statement condemning the Pahalgam massacre. The grouping includes India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
The leaders also welcomed the work of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) and its five subgroups under the Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Action Plan, and called for further cooperation. They pushed for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework and urged “concerted action” against all UN-designated terrorists and terror entities.
The statement comes weeks after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval raised the Pahalgam attack at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Security Council Secretaries’ meeting in Beijing. Doval underlined the continued threat from groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed operating with state support from Pakistan, as well as Al Qaeda, ISIS and their affiliates.
India has repeatedly urged SCO members to reject double standards on terrorism and to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of cross-border terror accountable.
(With agency input)