What To Expect From S Jaishankar’s Pakistan Visit Today For SCO Summit?

While India’s participation in the summit highlights India's engagement with the SCO, Jaishankar’s past stance over India’s bilateral talks with Pakistan shows that there seems little to no possibility of thawing.

Picture source: ANI

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Pakistan on Tuesday evening, drawing significant attention to the high-level government meeting. However, Jaishankar has made it clear that there will be no formal bilateral talks with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar or Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the visit.  

While India’s participation in the summit highlights India's engagement with the SCO, Jaishankar’s past stance over India’s bilateral talks with Pakistan shows that there is little to no possibility of thawing. On May 6, 2023, EAM made it clear that India and Pakistan are not ‘on the same boat.’ “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism,” Jaishankar asserted at a press conference.  

What to Expect From Jaishankar’s Pakistan Visit  

Earlier this month, Jaishankar was talking about his visit to the neighbouring country when he said, “I am not going there to discuss India-Pakistan relations. I am going there to be a good member of the SCO.” He further added, "I expect that there would be a lot of media interest because the very nature of the relationship is such, and I think we will deal with it.”  

He had clarified that his visit to Islamabad is strictly for attending the "multilateral event" and not for a bilateral engagement with Pakistan. "I am going there to be a good member of the SCO. Since I am a courteous and civil person, I will behave myself accordingly.”  

He focused on fulfilling India's obligations within the SCO framework rather than engaging in direct talks with Pakistani officials.  

S Jaishankar: Bilawal Bhutto’s Face Off Over Terrorism  

When Pakistan minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was visiting India last year to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. He called for collective efforts to combat terrorism, urging member states to avoid using terrorism as a diplomatic tool. "Let's not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring," Zardari said during his keynote address.  

His remarks followed Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's statement earlier in the meeting, where he highlighted the issue of cross-border terrorism, stating that it continues "unabated." Jaishankar stressed the need to end terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border attacks.  

Now, a year and five months after that heated exchange in Goa, Jaishankar is set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, scheduled for October 15-16. Though Bilawal is no longer Pakistan's foreign minister, his party still supports Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government.