New Delhi: Pakistan has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15-16 in Islamabad.
Pakistan, now holding the chairmanship of the SCO’s Council of Heads of Government (CHG), has extended the invitation. However, The Times of India reports that Prime Minister Modi is unlikely to visit Islamabad due to tense relations between India and Pakistan.
India Weighs SCO Participation Amid Regional Tensions
Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the CHG meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Although PM Modi usually attends the SCO heads of state summits, he missed this year’s summit in Kazakhstan due to a Parliament session. The SCO, led by Russia and China, plays a key role in regional security and cooperation.
India remains wary of China’s influence within the SCO. While Indian and Pakistani delegations have joined SCO exercises and meetings, high-profile visits are uncommon. Recent tensions, particularly due to increased terror attacks in Jammu, may influence India’s response to the invitation.
India-Pakistan Tensions Persist Over Kashmir Issue
Relations between India and Pakistan are complicated, with the neighbouring country aiming to overturn India’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status—a move India considers non-negotiable. The last visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan was in 2015.
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