Qingdao, 26 June

The perpetrators, financiers and sponsors of terrorism must be held accountable and there should be "no double" standards in combating the menace, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, taking a swipe at Pakistan.

In an address at a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Singh said some countries are using cross-border terrorism as an "instrument of policy" to provide shelter to terrorists.

The defence minister arrived in this Chinese port city on Wednesday to attend the SCO Defence Ministers' Conclave.

"The biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust-deficit," he said.

"And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism."

Singh said peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups.

"Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security," he said.

The defence minister said those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences.

There should be no place for double standards in combating terrorism, he said, adding the SCO should not hesitate to criticise nations indulging in double standards in combating the menace.

Singh also said the pattern of the Pahalgam terror attack matched with Lashkar-e-Taiba's previous terror attacks in India.

India is following a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, he said.

The defence minister also noted that India has been consistent and steadfast in its policy in support of peace, security and stability in Afghanistan.