FM Jaishankar to head Indian delegation at SCO summit

alt=(FM Jaishankar to head Indian delegation at SCO)

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is set to visit Pakistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit later this month, according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry on Friday.

“The external affairs minister will lead a delegation to Pakistan for the SCO Summit, scheduled for October 15 and 16,” announced spokesman Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly press briefing.

This visit will mark the first by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade.

Earlier, the Foreign Office confirmed that Prime Minister Modi has been invited to the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, which Pakistan will host under its rotating chairmanship on October 15-16. FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a weekly press conference had mentioned that an invitation has also been extended to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several countries have already confirmed their participation.

Additionally, on Wednesday in a meeting led by Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvia a comprehensive security plan for the upcoming SCO summit was also approved . The minister stated that additional personnel from the Pakistan Army, Rangers, Frontier Corps, and Punjab police would be deployed to ensure robust security for the delegates.

Today, the federal government authorized the army’s deployment in the capital from October 5-17 for the summit’s security and to maintain law and order. The interior ministry’s notification indicated that specific areas of deployment and troop numbers would be determined later.

In May of the previous year, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited India for a two-day meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to India in almost 12 years. Following the trip, he described his participation as a “productive and positive decision.”

In relation to the Kashmir issue, bilateral relations, and responsibilities within multilateral frameworks, he concluded that engaging in the event was a positive step.

Similarly, former foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz attended the Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar in December 2016.

Furthermore, when India hosted the SCO Council of Heads of State virtually on July 4, 2023, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif represented Pakistan, underscoring the nation’s readiness to engage despite tense relations with India.

India’s involvement in the SCO signifies a delicate balancing act, as it seeks cooperation on regional security while being cautious of China’s expanding influence within the organization.

While fostering constructive relationships with other Central Asian nations, India aims to counterbalance Chinese dominance in the region.

India’s hesitation to attend meetings in Pakistan is a well-established position, rooted in its boycott of the 19th Saarc Summit scheduled for November 2016, which was to be hosted by Pakistan. This decision resulted in Saarc being inactive since the regional body requires the attendance of all member states for a summit to occur.