External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar enjoyed a quiet Wednesday morning in Islamabad, engaging in a morning walk with Indian diplomats and planting an Arjuna sapling at the Indian High Commission premises. This visit marks a significant moment as Jaishankar becomes the first Indian External Affairs Minister to travel to Pakistan in nine years, coinciding with the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
Sharing a snapshot of his morning activity on Twitter, Jaishankar, dressed in a full-sleeved bottle-green t-shirt and track pants, wrote, “A morning walk together with colleagues of Team @IndiainPakistan in our High Commission campus.” His post also included a picture of him planting the sapling, symbolizing India’s commitment to environmental sustainability. “An Arjuna sapling at @IndiainPakistan premises is another commitment to #Plant4Mother,” he noted.
Jaishankar is leading India’s delegation at the SCO Summit, set to take place at the Jinnah Convention Centre later today. His arrival in Pakistan on Tuesday was notable, as he landed at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, making him the first Indian foreign minister to visit the country since Sushma Swaraj’s trip in 2014.
On Tuesday night, Jaishankar had an informal dinner with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where the two leaders exchanged greetings and shook hands. However, no formal bilateral talks are scheduled between Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, during the summit. The relationship between the two nations remains strained due to ongoing concerns over cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan.
Leaders from various SCO member states are also in attendance at the summit, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, among others. India has consistently reiterated that “terror and talks cannot go together,” emphasizing that meaningful discussions can only resume in a conducive environment.
