ISLAMABAD — Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is slated to visit Pakistan in mid October to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, marking a significant diplomatic move as it will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman confirmed Jaishankar’s visit on Ocotber 15 while Pakistani Foreign Office is yet to share more details about it. FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch earlier mentioned that several countries have already confirmed their participation.
Pakistani government has chalked out comprehensive security plan for SCO summit, with additional personnel from Pakistan Army, Rangers, Frontier Corps, and Punjab police will be deployed to ensure the safety of all attendees.
New Delhi’s participation in SCO reflects its complex regional diplomacy, as it seeks to balance security cooperation with apprehensions regarding China’s growing influence within the organization. By engaging selectively with the SCO’s economic initiatives, India aims to counterbalance China’s dominance while strengthening ties with Central Asian nations.
Modi led government remained reluctant in its engagement with Islamabad, notably boycotting the 19th Saarc Summit in November 2016, which led to a standstill in the regional organization.
As the summit approaches, all eyes will be on the potential outcomes of these high-level meetings and their implications for Indo-Pak relations.
