Jaishankar Clarifies India-Pakistan Talks Ahead of SCO Meeting: “I’m Not Going There to Discuss Bilateral Relations”

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to lead the Indian delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Pakistan on October 15-16, marking his first visit to the neighboring country as India’s Foreign Minister. This visit is significant as the last Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj in 2015.

In a press conference on Saturday, Jaishankar addressed speculation surrounding potential India-Pakistan bilateral discussions during the visit, clarifying, “It (visit) will be for a multilateral event. I’m not going there to discuss India-Pakistan relations. I’m going there to be a good member of the SCO. But, you know, since I’m a courteous and civil person, I will behave myself accordingly.”

The announcement follows Pakistan’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the SCO meeting, highlighting the significance of Pakistan’s rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), which will host the two-day in-person SCO Heads of Governments Meeting.

The upcoming SCO event will include a ministerial meeting along with multiple rounds of senior officials’ meetings aimed at enhancing financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among the SCO member states. The SCO comprises influential countries such as India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, emerging as one of the largest transregional international organizations.

Long-standing Strained Relations
India and Pakistan share a tumultuous history, primarily characterized by issues surrounding Kashmir and concerns over cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. India has consistently emphasized its desire for normal neighborly relations, but insists that Pakistan must create a conducive environment free of terror and hostility. Following the Indian Parliament’s abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic ties with India.

Jaishankar has previously issued sharp statements regarding Pakistan’s failure to adequately address cross-border terrorism. At the recent UN General Assembly, he reiterated that Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism would “never succeed” and warned that such actions “will certainly have consequences,” underscoring that it is “karma” that the country’s troubles are now affecting its own society.

As the date of the SCO meeting approaches, all eyes will be on Jaishankar’s engagement at the multilateral forum and whether it could lead to any shifts in the fraught relationship between India and Pakistan.