August 29, 2024 — Pakistan has extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of government meeting scheduled to take place in Islamabad on October 15-16, 2024. This was confirmed by Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during a weekly press briefing.
Baloch stated that invitations had been sent to the leaders of all member countries of the SCO, which includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. While some countries have already confirmed their participation, details about the confirmed attendees will be disclosed in due course.
The invitation comes amidst a backdrop of historically strained relations between India and Pakistan, primarily due to the longstanding Kashmir dispute and issues related to cross-border terrorism. Despite these tensions, Pakistan has reached out to India to participate in the SCO summit, a significant transregional economic and security bloc.
India has consistently maintained that it seeks normal neighborly relations with Pakistan, emphasizing that the onus is on Islamabad to create a terror-free and peaceful environment conducive to bilateral engagement.
The SCO Summit, which is expected to cover a range of issues including financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among member states, will be preceded by a ministerial meeting and several rounds of senior officials’ meetings.
Pakistan’s ties with India have been particularly strained since August 5, 2019, when the Indian Parliament revoked Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. This decision led Pakistan to downgrade its diplomatic relations with India, further complicating any potential dialogue between the two nations. Despite the complexities, Pakistan’s invitation to Prime Minister Modi for the upcoming SCO summit is seen as a significant diplomatic gesture.
