Srinagar, Oct 5: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Saturday that his upcoming visit to Islamabad is focused on attending the multilateral Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2024 and not about engaging in discussions on India-Pakistan relations.
Speaking during the Sardar Patel Lecture on Governance, organized by the IC Centre for Governance in New Delhi, Jaishankar emphasized that his trip is driven by India’s responsibility as a “good member of the SCO.”
The minister confirmed that he is set to travel to Pakistan in mid-October to participate in the SCO heads of government meeting. “Yes, I am scheduled to go to Pakistan in the middle of this month, and that is for the meeting of the SCO—the heads of government meeting,” Jaishankar said.
Acknowledging the likely media focus due to the ongoing sensitive relations between India and Pakistan, he emphasized that his visit is solely for the multilateral event, reiterating, “I am not going there to discuss India-Pakistan relations. 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.”
Jaishankar also highlighted that Pakistan, like India, is a recent member of the SCO, and as such, the summit is being hosted in Islamabad this year. He clarified that typically, it is the Prime Minister who attends the high-level heads of state meeting in the tradition of SCO summits. (KNS)
