‘No double standards on terror’: BRICS slam Pahalgam attack in strong declaration

India had stepped up efforts to secure the bloc’s backing for its new approach to fighting cross-border terror.

The BRICS grouping strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack on Sunday and called for combating the cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and safe havens, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said supporting terrorists for political gain should be unacceptable.

The BRICS declaration condemned all acts of terrorism as “criminal and unjustifiable."(Lula - X)

The terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians and led to four days of hostilities between India and Pakistan after New Delhi targeted terror infrastructure across the border, was denounced in a strongly worded leaders’ declaration adopted at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

India had stepped up efforts to secure the bloc’s backing for its new approach to fighting cross-border terror.

Without naming the US, the declaration criticised the “indiscriminate rising of tariffs”, saying such measures threaten to undermine global trade and disrupt global supply chains.

The declaration also emphasised the need for urgent reforms to global institutions such as the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods Institutions to make them more inclusive and capable of facing modern challenges.

The declaration further condemned recent military strikes against Iran, especially the targeting of civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities, and expressed grave concern at the resumption of Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of humanitarian aid into the territory.

The declaration condemned all acts of terrorism as “criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation”.

It said, “We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 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.”

All those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice, the declaration said. “We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism,” it said.

Besides agreeing to deepen counter-terror cooperation, the BRICS called for concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities and the speedy adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN framework.

The Brics is committed to combating illicit financial flows, including money laundering and financing of terrorism, extremism and proliferation, and other forms of transnational organised crime, including the use of new technologies and cryptocurrencies for terrorist purposes, the declaration said.

While addressing a session of the BRICS Summit focused on peace and security, Modi described terrorism as the most serious challenge confronting humanity and said the “inhuman and cowardly” terror attack in Pahalgam was not just a blow to India but to the entire humanity.

In an apparent reference to China, which had supported Pakistan with military supplies and equipment during the recent clashes with India, Modi said that condemning terrorism should be a “principle” and not just a “convenience”.

“If we first see in which country the attack took place, against whom it was, then it would be a betrayal against humanity. There should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists. Victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be weighed on the same scale,” he said, speaking in Hindi.

“For personal or political gain, giving silent consent to terrorism, supporting terror or terrorists, should not be acceptable under any circumstances. There should be no difference between words and actions regarding terrorism. If we cannot do this, then the question naturally arises whether we are serious about the fight against terrorism or not?” he said.

The BRICS leaders’ declaration said the multilateral trading system is at a crossroads, and, without any direct reference to the tariff policies of the Donald Trump administration in the US, said that the “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and nontariff measures…threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities”.

“We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules. In this context, we reiterate our support for the rules-based, open, transparent, fair, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory, consensus-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, with special and differential treatment for its developing members,” the declaration said.

With two members of Brics - Iran and Russia - facing wide-ranging US sanctions, the declaration condemned “coercive measures” such as unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions and called for their elimination.

In the context of trade, the declaration said Brics member states have begun discussions to establish a Brics Multilateral Guarantees (BMG) initiative to strengthen financial resilience and mobilise private investments for infrastructure and sustainable development. This is aimed at de-risking strategic investments and improving creditworthiness in the Global South. The Brics leaders tasked finance ministers and central bank governors to continue discussions on the Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiative, including pathways to support the potential for greater interoperability of Brics payment systems.

While calling for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to make it more representative and effective, and to increase representation of developing countries, the declaration said this will help the body to respond to global challenges and meet the aspirations of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Such reforms will lead to the amplified voice of the Global South and meet the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the Security Council.

The Brics reiterated the urgent need to reform the Bretton Woods Institutions to make them more agile, effective, credible, inclusive, unbiased, accountable and representative. These institutions “must reform their governance structure to reflect the transformation of the global economy” and the representation of emerging economies in these bodies must “reflect their increasing weight in the global economy”, the declaration said.

The leaders’ declaration condemned the military strikes against Iran since June 13, saying they constituted a violation of international law and the UN Charter, and expressed concern at the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East. “We further express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)...In this context, we reiterate our support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at addressing regional challenges,” it said.

The declaration expressed grave concern at the situation in occupied Palestinian territory with the resumption of Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of humanitarian aid. It also condemned all violations of international humanitarian law, “including the use of starvation as a method of warfare”. The declaration called for negotiations to achieve an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire, full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, release of all hostages and detainees, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.

Modi too referred to conflicts and tensions from West Asia to Europe during his address on peace and security and described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as a “cause of great concern”. He said, “India firmly believes that no matter how difficult the circumstances, the path of peace is the only option for the welfare of humanity.”

He added, “There is no place for war and violence for us. India supports every effort that takes the world away from division and conflict and leads it towards dialogue, cooperation and coordination, and increases solidarity and trust.”