Lahore: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to visit Pakistan on Tuesday to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave. This marks the first high-level visit from India to its neighbour in nearly nine years, amid ongoing tensions primarily surrounding the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism.
Upon his arrival in Islamabad, Jaishankar is expected to attend a banquet reception hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, welcoming delegates from various SCO member nations. However, both sides have clarified that there will be no bilateral discussions between Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, during this visit.
Jaishankar’s trip is particularly notable as it comes against a backdrop of strained relations between the two countries, exacerbated by India’s military actions in Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019, and further strained by India’s revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019. Since then, Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties with India, complicating the possibility of dialogue.
Jaishankar’s brief stay in Pakistan, reportedly lasting less than 24 hours, is viewed as proof of India’s commitment to the SCO and its readiness to engage with neighbouring countries. In a recent statement, Jaishankar emphasised India’s desire for good relations with Pakistan but highlighted that such efforts cannot overlook the issue of cross-border terrorism. “Like with any neighbour, India would certainly like to have good relations with Pakistan.” “But that cannot happen by overlooking cross-border terrorism and indulging in wishful thinking.”
The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj in December 2015 for a conference on Afghanistan, making this visit by Jaishankar all the more significant. Pakistan had previously invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the SCO summit in August.
