The Foreign Office spokesperson clarified that Pakistan does not engage in direct bilateral trade with India...
Digital Desk: Pakistan has formally extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad this October. The announcement was made by Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during a weekly press briefing.
The two-day SCO CHG meeting is set to occur on October 15-16, with Pakistan currently holding the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council. Invitations have been sent to various heads of state and governments, including Prime Minister Modi. As of now, India has yet to respond to the invitation.
The Foreign Office spokesperson clarified that Pakistan does not engage in direct bilateral trade with India, a reflection of the strained relations between the two neighboring countries. This move follows India's hosting of the SCO meeting in a virtual format last year, during which Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif participated via video link.
In a notable development earlier this year, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, then Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, visited India in May 2023 for the in-person SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting held in Goa. This visit marked the first instance of a Pakistani foreign minister visiting India in nearly 12 years, signaling a rare moment of diplomatic engagement between the two nations.
There had been speculation that India might decline the invitation to the Islamabad meeting. However, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reportedly dismissed such rumors. An MEA official was quoted as saying that speculative news regarding Prime Minister Modi’s attendance or the attendance of the External Affairs Minister (EAM) should be avoided, emphasizing that no official comments had been made on the matter.
The ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, fueled by issues such as cross-border terrorism and the Kashmir dispute, continue to impact diplomatic relations. Despite these challenges, India has expressed a desire for improved relations, urging Pakistan to address terrorism concerns as a step toward fostering a more stable and cooperative environment.
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