External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, exchanged pleasantries with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, shortly after arriving in the Pakistani capital to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The brief interaction occurred during a dinner reception hosted by Mr. Sharif at his residence, held in honor of the delegates from SCO member countries. Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Sharif shook hands warmly and engaged in a very brief conversation.
Prime Minister Sharif welcomed all the leaders of the delegations from the SCO member nations.
Senior Pakistani officials, children greet EAM
Mr. Jaishankar’s aircraft landed at Nur Khan airbase, located on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital, around 3:30 p.m. (local time), where senior Pakistani officials greeted him.
This marks the first time in nearly nine years that an Indian foreign minister has traveled to Pakistan, even as relations between the two neighbors remain tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan.
Mr. Jaishankar is set to lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
#WATCH | EAM Dr S Jaishankar arrived in Rawalpindi, Pakistan this evening for the 23rd Meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government.
(Video: ANI; visuals earlier this evening) pic.twitter.com/7fqaGUSe0k
— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2024
Jaishankar to participate in SCO summit
Upon his arrival, Mr. Jaishankar shared on ‘X’ that he had landed in Islamabad to participate in the SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting, posting photographs of children and officials welcoming him with flowers at the airport.
The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who traveled to Islamabad for the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference on Afghanistan held from December 8-9, 2015.
At that time, Mr. Jaishankar, then serving as India’s foreign secretary, was part of Ms. Swaraj’s delegation.
During her visit, Ms. Swaraj held talks with her then-counterpart Sartaj Aziz. Following these discussions, both sides released a joint statement announcing their decision to initiate a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.
A little over two weeks after Ms. Swaraj’s visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unexpected 150-minute visit to Lahore on his way back from Kabul.
During his visit, Mr. Modi went to the ancestral home of his then-Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, and they held talks aimed at opening avenues for peace.
Strained Pakistan-India relations
However, subsequent terror attacks in India by Pakistan-based terrorists severely strained the ties between the two countries.
Before Mr. Jaishankar departed for Pakistan on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, India reaffirmed its active engagement in the various mechanisms of the SCO. Pakistan is hosting the two-day SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on October 15 and 16.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that the SCO CHG meeting is an annual event focusing on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation. It further added that India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various initiatives and mechanisms within the SCO framework.
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