New Delhi, Sep 15 — The New Delhi Declaration 2026, adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit in the national capital, condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack and adopting strong language against cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorist financing, safe havens and double standards in dealing with terrorism represents an important diplomatic achievement for India, a report has detailed.
BRICS has strengthened the statement made by India over the years that terrorism cannot be legitimised by political explanations and nations cannot selectively distinguish between terrorists as per their strategic convenience, a report in 'Rising Kashmir' mentioned.
"Pakistan has not been expressly named. That fact should neither be concealed nor exaggerated. Yet the political significance of the declaration lies precisely in the terminology accepted by a diverse group of important nations. For India, the development represents an important diplomatic achievement," Sunil Sethi and Altaf Thakur wrote in Rising Kashmir.
For Pakistan, it presents an increasingly uncomfortable question: how long can the international narrative surrounding cross-border terrorism remain separated from the infrastructure, organisations and ideological networks that India has repeatedly accused of operating from Pakistani territory," the author further mentioned.
India did not allow the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam to disappear into the long list of terrorist attacks it has faced over the years. India made the Pahalgam attack an important diplomatic issue, and the BRICS declaration's condemnation of the Pahalgam attack in the strongest terms gives it an important multilateral dimension. The development is more significant as it comes along with the language dealing with cross-border terrorism, financing and safe havens, according to the report.
India has consistently argued that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be seen only through the prism of political dispute, as terrorists need weapons, training, finance, recruitment networks and places from which they function. Fighting terrorism requires action against the individual who pulls the trigger and the whole ecosystem that enables it, according to the report in Rising Kashmir. That principle has now received support from the BRICS member countries.
The leaders of the BRICS member countries strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam last year and reiterated their resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and the provision of safe havens, while calling for zero tolerance against terrorism.
“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 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,” read the joint declaration.
During the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, Pakistan-backed terrorists gunned down 26 innocent tourists after identifying their religion, in one of the most brutal incidents targeting civilians in recent years.
“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 to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism,” the Declaration added.
According to the declaration, the leaders emphasised that the primary responsibility of States in combating terrorism, and that global efforts to prevent and counter terrorist threats must fully comply with their obligations under international law. Such efforts, they said, must be consistent with the Charter of the UN, in particular the purposes and principles thereof, and relevant international conventions and protocols, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, as applicable.