External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave. This visit marks the first high-level trip by an Indian Foreign Minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years, amidst ongoing tensions between the two countries.
On Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss bilateral relations and mutual interests. They signed several agreements and virtually inaugurated the Beijing-funded Gwadar airport. State-run Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting highlighted the leaders' satisfaction with the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China, built on mutual trust.
During the meeting, they exchanged views on various bilateral, regional, and international issues, reaffirming their support for each other on core matters and committing to high-quality development.
Minister Jaishankar will also attend a reception hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for delegates from SCO member nations. However, both India and Pakistan have ruled out any bilateral talks between Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, during the SCO heads of government summit.
Jaishankar is expected to stay in Pakistan for less than 24 hours. His visit comes despite ongoing tensions related to the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism linked to Pakistan. The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who attended a conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad in December 2015.
Attendees at the Summit:
Pakistan is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15 and 16.
What is on the Agenda?
The 23rd CHG meeting will assess the organization's performance and discuss ongoing collaboration in commerce, economy, environment, and sociocultural links. Leaders will also approve the budget and make important decisions to enhance cooperation among SCO member states.
Ties between India and Pakistan became severely strained after India's airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in February 2019, following the Pulwama terror attack. Relations worsened when India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, bifurcating the state into two union territories. In response, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India.
India has expressed a desire for normal relations with Pakistan but insists that the responsibility lies with Islamabad to create an environment free of terrorism and hostility. In May 2023, Pakistan's then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India for an SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Goa, marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to India in nearly 12 years.
EAM S Jaishankar to Visit Pakistan for SCO Summit on October-15: What's on the Agenda?
