BRICS Leaders Condemn Pahalgam Attack, Declare Zero Tolerance for Terrorism

BRICS leaders have condemned the killing of 26 civilians in the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, adopting a New Delhi Declaration that urges zero tolerance for terrorism and rejects double standards in countering it.

The declaration states that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation or who carries them out. The condemnation appears in the 40th point of the 140-point document.

In a joint statement, the leaders said they condemned in the strongest terms the attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, in which 26 people were killed and many more injured.

The assault in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam left 25 tourists and a local pony operator dead, making it one of the worst terror attacks in the country. The massacre was later traced to terrorists backed and trained in Pakistan.

While the declaration does not name any state actor, it calls for action against the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens.

The leaders emphasised that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group, and asserted that those involved in terror activities and their supporters must be held accountable and brought to justice under relevant national and international law.

They also urged member nations to take concerted action against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities, and stressed the importance of countering extremism and radicalisation, especially among younger generations. The declaration further calls for enhanced cooperation among BRICS countries and their competent authorities, including through the sharing of best practices.

This is not the first time the grouping has addressed the attack. BRICS had condemned it at its previous summit in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025, where a similar text reaffirmed the commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. A comparable condemnation followed at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in September last year.