We remained actively engaged in SCO format: India

India remains actively engaged in various mechanisms of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO New Delhi said on Tuesday hours before External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lands in Pakistan to attend a conclave of the influential regional groupingIt will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister in nearly a decade that comes amid continuing chill in IndiaPakistan relationsPakistan is hosting the twoday SCO Council of Heads of Government CHG summit meeting on October 15 and 16ldquoThe SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation the Ministry of External Affairs MEA saidExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meeting India remains actively engaged in the SCO format including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework it said in a brief statement in New DelhiShortly after he arrives in Islamabad Jaishankar is likely to attend a banquet reception to be hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to welcome the delegates from the SCO member nations people familiar with the matter saidBoth India and Pakistan have already ruled out any bilateral talks between Jaishankar and his Pakistan counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the SCO heads of the government summitHowever they are set to exchange pleasantriesIt will be for the first time in nearly nine years Indias foreign minister is traveling to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained frosty over the Kashmir issue and crossborder terrorism emanating from PakistanThe last Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj She had travelled to Islamabad in December 2015 to attend a conference on AfghanistanJaishankars visit to Pakistan assumes significance as it is seen as a significant decision on New Delhis partIn his recent address at an event Jaishankar said ldquolike with any neighbour India would certainly like to have good relations with Pakistanrdquo But that cannot happen by overlooking crossborder terrorism and indulging in wishful thinking The decision to send the senior minister is seen as a display of Indias commitment to the SCOThe ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after Indias warplanes pounded a JaisheMohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attackThe relations further deteriorated after India on August 5 2019 announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territoriesPakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagementPakistans then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India in May 2023 to attend an inperson meeting of the foreign ministers of SCO nations in GoaIt was the first visit of a Pakistani foreign minister to India in almost 12 yearsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever