Islamabad: Pakistan has officially extended an invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting scheduled in Islamabad in October, according to the Foreign Office spokesperson on Thursday. This comes amid strained relations between India and Pakistan particularly over the Kashmir issue, as well as cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Pakistan is set to host the SCO heads of government meeting on October 15 -16. The event will be preceded by a ministerial meeting and several rounds of senior officials’ meetings focused on financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among the SCO member states. During a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch said invitations have been sent to heads of countries for participation in the summit.
“An invitation has also been sent to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi,” Dawn quoted her as saying, adding that some countries had already confirmed their participation in the meeting. “It will be informed in due course which country has confirmed.” When asked about ties with India, Baloch said, “Pakistan does not have direct bilateral trade with India.”
India-Pakistan tensions
Islamabad and New Delhi have a long history of strained relations, primarily due to the Kashmir issue as well as the cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment that is free of terror and hostility.
More recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India had “never closed doors to talking to Pakistan” but the issue of cross-border terrorism should be “fair, square at the centre of the conversation”. When he was asked if there could be a conversation with the Pakistani military, Jaishankar brushed it off and said “it doesn’t work like that”.
However, Pakistan continues to rake up the Kashmir issue at international fora. Baloch on Thursday said Pakistan’s foreign secretary will provide the country’s perspective on Jammu and Kashmir at the 50th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Cameroon scheduled from August 29-30.
Will PM Modi go to Pakistan?
It is uncertain whether PM Modi would accept Pakistan’s invitation to attend the SCO summit in Islamabad, given the nature of current ties. The Indian Prime Minister had earlier skipped the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan on July 3-4, before he embarked on a trip to Russia. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar led the Indian delegation at the meeting which featured Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In remarks delivered by Jaishankar, the Prime Minister called proactive steps to combat terrorism and prevent the spread of radicalisation among youth. “Many of us have had our experiences, often originating beyond our borders. Let us be clear that if left unchecked, it can become a major threat to regional and global peace. Terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned,” he said.
“International community must isolate and expose those countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism. Cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response and terrorism financing and recruitment must be resolutely countered,” the PM further said in his remarks.
What is the SCO?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was formed by China in 2001. Its members include India, Russia, China, Pakistan, and four central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.
India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
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