In a significant visit after nearly a decade, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad on October 15 and 16 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government (HoG) meeting, the government announced on Friday.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Mr. Jaishankar’s visit is "primarily" for the SCO meeting, emphasizing India’s focus on "regional cooperation mechanisms." It added that no bilateral meetings on the sidelines have been arranged so far.
The last visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to Pakistan was in 2015 when Sushma Swaraj attended the Heart of Asia conference and held bilateral talks.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. | Photo Credit: ANI
No bilateral meeting has taken place yet
It remains uncertain, according to sources, whether Mr. Jaishankar will stay overnight in Islamabad, as he might arrive just in time for the formal SCO meeting on October 16 via a special flight and return to New Delhi on the same day.
Officials noted that the visit by the External Affairs Minister is based on “reciprocity,” as Pakistan, despite ongoing bilateral tensions, had sent its then-Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Goa in May 2023. Notably, while the Narendra Modi-led government is sending a Minister to an SCO conference, it has declined to attend the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit, scheduled to be held in Pakistan since 2016.
Comments by MEA Spokesperson
"Mr. Jaishankar will head India's delegation to the SCO meeting," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal informed journalists during a weekly briefing. When asked about a potential request from Pakistan for a bilateral meeting with its Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, he added, "As the program evolves, we will keep you updated on the visit."
Pakistan delaying progress in SAARC
In response to a question regarding the recent meeting between the new Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, during which Mr. Yunus advocated for a "revival" of the eight-nation SAARC process, the spokesperson claimed that it was Pakistan, not India, that was "stalling SAARC."
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“One particular country has a particular way of doing things, which is stalling SAARC,” said Mr. Jaiswal, referring to Pakistan’s refusal to move forward on India’s suggestions for a Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) and South Asian electricity grid initiatives. “We attach deep importance to regional cooperation, to regional connectivity and therefore, we have given an impetus to the BIMSTEC grouping and other platforms,” he added, indicating that India has had more success in dealing with its neighbours to the north, east and south, in the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
Dedicated to the SCO
The Pakistan government extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the SCO meeting last month. Typically, Mr. Modi attends meetings at the Head of State level and delegates either the External Affairs Minister or the Vice President to represent him at Heads of Government gatherings. As reported by The Hindu last month, the government was keen to send a high-ranking official to the SCO meeting to demonstrate its commitment to the Eurasian group, especially after Mr. Modi canceled his participation in the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan in July due to a scheduling conflict.
So far, New Delhi has refrained from sending any Ministers for the SCO events in Pakistan, including the Trade Ministers' meeting last month. However, the Heads of Government meeting is viewed as an important opportunity to engage with the Prime Ministers of several Central Asian nations, along with high-level representatives from Russia, China, Iran, and Belarus. It also serves as a chance to set the stage for Mr. Modi's involvement in the 10-nation BRICS Summit to be hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan later this month, as many countries are members of both the SCO and BRICS, an official noted.
Visit after the J&K elections
Officials expressed limited optimism regarding progress in the India-Pakistan peace process at this time, despite Mr. Jaishankar having the chance to meet with Pakistani leaders. His visit is scheduled shortly after the announcement of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election results, following which the Centre has pledged to restore the statehood of J&K. It remains uncertain whether this announcement could facilitate a revival of some of the ties that Pakistan severed after the reorganization of J&K in 2019, particularly the recall of High Commissioners and the cessation of trade and travel exchanges.
During the briefing, Mr. Jaiswal criticized Pakistan's "warm welcome" for radical Islamic cleric Zakir Naik, an Indian national residing in Malaysia, who is wanted in India for money laundering and hate speech.
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“It is not surprising for us that an Indian fugitive, a fugitive from Indian law and justice has received a high-level welcome in Pakistan,” said Mr. Jaiswal, referring to Mr. Naik’s meeting with Mr. Sharif. “It is something which is disappointing, condemnable,” he said, confirming that India’s request to extradite Mr. Naik from Malaysia, which is still pending, was raised with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when he visited India in August.
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