No Bilateral Meeting Scheduled Between India and Pakistan for SCO Summit

Neither India nor Pakistan has requested a bilateral meeting during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the SCO Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad. Pakistani officials plan to host him with full protocol. Speculation surrounds potential discussions with Chinese leadership, but experts downplay expectations for breakthroughs in India-Pakistan relations amid ongoing political unrest and security concerns in Pakistan.

India and Pakistan have not sought a bilateral meeting during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s upcoming visit to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government summit, scheduled for October 15-16, as stated by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Mr. Dar mentioned that the Pakistani government intends to extend “full protocol” to Mr. Jaishankar, fulfilling their duty as a “good host,” and underscored Jaishankar’s role as a constructive participant in the SCO. The 10-member SCO gathering will see participation from notable leaders including Iranian Vice-President Mohammadreza Aref, as well as Prime Ministers from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is noteworthy that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will arrive early for bilateral discussions with the Pakistani government. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not confirmed specifics regarding potential bilateral talks for Mr. Jaishankar, leading to widespread speculation about a possible encounter with the Chinese leader, particularly ahead of the forthcoming BRICS summit in Russia later this month, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping are anticipated to meet in an effort to address ongoing military tensions at the Line of Actual Control. With little expectation for a meeting between India and Pakistan, experts have tempered their predictions regarding the implications of Mr. Jaishankar’s visit on bilateral relations, marking this as the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister in almost ten years. The last notable interaction occurred in 2015 when former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan for a Heart of Asia conference, which included a bilateral meeting that ultimately fell through due to subsequent terror attacks. “Iran’s Foreign Minister has not asked for any meeting, and we haven’t requested a bilateral meeting either. He will come as a guest for the SCO, and discussions will be held on multilateral issues,” Mr. Dar communicated during a media briefing regarding preparations for the SCO meeting, emphasizing its significance as the first major multilateral event hosted in Pakistan in nearly three decades. Earlier this year, Mr. Dar mentioned his country’s willingness to reconsider trade relations with India—suspended since 2019. However, there has been no substantial progress on this front. When asked about trade discussions at the SCO, Mr. Dar distinguished between bilateral conversations about connectivity and the formal agenda set by the SCO framework, indicating that trade topics would not be on the official discussion list. Amid these discussions, security concerns have escalated in Pakistan due to planned protests by the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) against the imprisonment of their leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government has heightened security measures in Islamabad with over 9,000 police personnel deployed, and protests have been prohibited in major cities. Strikingly, a minister from Pakistan attributed the ongoing protests to external interference, alluding to India without explicitly naming it.

The current geopolitical relationship between India and Pakistan is marked by longstanding tensions, particularly around issues such as territorial disputes and trade relations. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) serves as a multilateral platform for its member countries to discuss pressing regional issues, including security and trade. Mr. Jaishankar’s visit is significant as it marks the first time an Indian Foreign Minister has traveled to Pakistan in nearly a decade, a period during which diplomatic engagement has been minimal. Previous attempts at dialogue have often been hindered by external incidents, such as terrorism. The context of the SCO meeting, amidst preparations for the BRICS summit, adds another layer of complexity to the potential for dialogue between the two nations.

In summary, both India and Pakistan have refrained from initiating a bilateral meeting during the upcoming SCO summit, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. While the visit marks a notable occasion for multilateral discussions, experts remain skeptical regarding its impact on bilateral ties, especially in light of recent political tensions within Pakistan and the lack of mutual interest in dialogue. Security concerns due to planned protests, coupled with a backdrop of strained relations, further complicate the atmosphere surrounding this significant international event.

Original Source: www.thehindu.com