• For the first time ever, a global political platform that involves China has identified terror groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The five nations issued a declaration at the ongoing Summit at Xiamen in China on Monday. The declaration not only condemned terrorism but also designated Pakistan-based militant groups as global terrorists for the first time ever.

1. BRICS Summit names terror groups in Pakistanforthe first time; here are 10
things to know
For the first time ever, a global political platform that involves China has identified terror groups
in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Sriparna Ghosh
BRICS 2017Wikimedia Commons
Before heading for the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said terrorism was
among the major agendas he wanted to bring up at the meet. The member countries not only
addressed terrorism as a global challenge but also named a few terror groups based in Pakistan
for the first time.
 The five nations issued a declaration at the ongoing Summit at Xiamen in China on
Monday. The declaration not only condemned terrorism but also designated Pakistan-
based militant groups as global terrorists for the first time ever.
 The declaration came as a victory for India, as it has always been vying hard especially
with China to identify terror groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan as well.

2. "This is the first time that it has listed specific organisations," said Preeti Saran, Secretary
(East) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
 The declaration has named Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tahreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan, Hizb-ut-Tahrir in the list of terror groups based in Pakistan.
 The declaration also mentioned a few militant groups which belong to Afghanistan and
encouraged the country's efforts to fight the militants.
"We support the efforts of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in fighting
terrorist organisations. We, in this regard, express concern on the security situation in the
region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, Al-Qaida and its affiliates
including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the
Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir," India
Today quoted the declaration.
 The declaration also condemned all the terrorist activities in all the BRICS nations.
"We deplore all terrorist attacks worldwide, including attacks in BRICS countries, and
condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by
whomsoever and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of
terrorism. We reaffirm that those responsible for committing, organising, or supporting
terrorist acts must be held accountable," the declaration added.
 It calls for a celebration for India as it has always tried to identify the militant forces in
Pakistan and Afghanistan on the global front. Its effort to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed
(JeM) chief, Masood Azhar had not yielded any result. Though India and United States
had earlier put Pakistan on a notice and even called it terrorists' safe havens, this is the
first time that China, one of the biggest allies Pakistan has, also admitted India's stand on
terrorist groups based in Pakistan.
This is also a victory for India as on July 31 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
had asked the US to continue its fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.
 China had until now always defended Pakistan and assured it of its support in case of any
foreign "aggression".
In June, China had yet again said that it will block India's bid to getting Azhar blacklisted
by the United Nations. It had first fought against Delhi on blacklisting Azhar at the
international forum in 2016.
On June 5, China had defended Pakistan on the issue of terrorism by saying that tackling
the threat posed by terrorism is a global responsibility and not just "one country's". In
another instance, China again stood by Pakistan when PM Modi had termed Pakistan as a
"mothership of terrorism" in the last BRICS Summit in Goa.
 China has also stood in favour of Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute.
 Now that Pakistan, who have been partnering with China in the China–Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and in the Kashmir dispute, has been cornered,
Pakistan's next move is indeed being awaited by many.
 It is assumed that the Summit was a double victory for India as China's efforts in trying to
expand its influence by inviting its allies in BRICS has not been paid heed to. India was
anxious that this move might result in the dilution of the role played by India and other

3. countries in BRICS.
"India would be the worst affected among BRICS partners. After expansion, the
organisation would lose its focus and coherence on development issues and become more
like a political platform for China," Mohan Malik, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center
for Security Studies at Honolulu in US, was quoted as saying by The National Network.