Thu Oct 17 08:01:05 UTC 2024: ## Jaishankar’s Historic Visit to Pakistan for SCO Summit Amidst Tensions

**Islamabad, Pakistan:** India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, marking the first high-level visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years. The visit comes amidst ongoing tensions between the neighboring countries over Kashmir and cross-border terrorism.

While Jaishankar will attend a reception hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for SCO delegates, both India and Pakistan have ruled out any bilateral talks between their foreign ministers during the summit.

The SCO CHG meeting, hosted by Pakistan on October 15 and 16, will focus on evaluating the organization’s performance and discussing collaboration in areas like trade, economy, environment, and cultural exchange. Leaders will also approve the organization’s budget and make key decisions to strengthen cooperation between SCO member states.

Jaishankar’s visit comes after a series of events that further strained relations between India and Pakistan. In 2019, India conducted airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot following the Pulwama terror attack, and revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan retaliated by downgrading diplomatic ties with India.

Despite the tensions, India has expressed its desire for normal relations with Pakistan but insists that Islamabad must create an environment free of terrorism and hostility.

The summit will see the participation of several heads of government and foreign ministers from SCO member states, including China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan.

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