The BRICS grouping on Saturday once again condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, with China joining the other members in a declaration that called for “zero tolerance” towards terrorism, action against terrorist safe havens and accountability for those involved in terror activities.The reaffirmation, in the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit, is significant as it comes more than a year after the attack and amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan over cross-border terrorism. It is also the second consecutive BRICS summit declaration to specifically name the Pahalgam attack, after the Rio de Janeiro declaration of July 2025.More significantly for India, China — Pakistan’s long-standing strategic partner and a country that has frequently shielded Islamabad at international forums — is again a signatory to the condemnation.The language in the New Delhi Declaration is almost identical to that adopted in Rio. Both documents condemn the April 22, 2025 attack “in the strongest terms”, note that 26 people were killed, and reaffirm the BRICS commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms, including the “cross-border movement of terrorists”, terrorism financing and safe havens.Both declarations also state that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group and that those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice under national and international law.The New Delhi Declaration reiterates the call for “zero tolerance for terrorism” and rejection of “double standards” in countering terrorism. It also calls for concerted action against all terrorists and terrorist entities designated by the UN.The repeated BRICS reference to Pahalgam gives India an important diplomatic marker where even within a grouping that includes China and Russia and has expanded to include countries with close ties to Pakistan, the attack itself has remained difficult to contest as an act of terrorism. The New Delhi Declaration, however, stops short of attributing the attack to Pakistan or explicitly endorsing India’s subsequent military response.Story continues below this adNotably, Beijing had condemned the Pahalgam attack soon after it occurred on April 22, 2025. At a Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference on April 23, spokesperson Guo Jiakun, responding to a question specifically about the Pahalgam attack, said: “We strongly condemn the attack,” adding that China “firmly opposes all forms of terrorism”. He also expressed condolences to the families of those killed and sympathies to the injured.Beijing, however, took a markedly different diplomatic line when India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. While China reiterated that it opposed terrorism, its Foreign Ministry said it “regretted” India’s military action and called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid steps that could further complicate the situation.This distinction broadly reflected the international response to the crisis. The Pahalgam attack itself attracted unusually wide condemnation, cutting across geopolitical alignments. The UN, G7, European Union and governments across the US, Europe, Gulf, Asia and elsewhere condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with India.The international response became more nuanced once India responded militarily. Even governments that had strongly condemned Pahalgam generally shifted to calls for restraint, de-escalation and dialogue as India and Pakistan moved towards military confrontation. The G7, for instance, condemned the Pahalgam attack while simultaneously urging “maximum restraint” from both India and Pakistan and warning that further military escalation threatened regional stability.Story continues below this adIndia had argued that the military response was a calibrated exercise of its right to self-defence after Pakistan failed to take demonstrable action against the infrastructure behind the attack. Announcing Operation Sindoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the strikes were “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible” and targeted terrorist infrastructure rather than Pakistani military targets.