The minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, is anticipated to attend the SCO summit in Pakistan on Tuesday, amidst increased security measures and the presence of army forces in the capital city. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Jaishankar are some of the high-ranking regional government officials who will be present at the event. The foreign minister will arrive in time for the welcome dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prior to the main summit on Wednesday.
The meeting will not include a formal bilateral meeting between the two neighbors at the event. Earlier this month, India announced that Jaishankar would be heading a group to Pakistan for the SCO summit in Islamabad. Nevertheless, Minister Jaishankar dismissed the possibility of holding bilateral discussions during his visit. In response to a question about Jaishankar’s visit, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch later stated that people should look at what the Indian Minister for External Affairs said on October 5. He mentioned that the visit was for a multilateral event and not to talk about Pakistan-India relations. These comments speak for themselves.
Jaishankar’s trip to Pakistan is important as it is viewed as a key move by New Delhi. The relationship between India and Pakistan sufferered greatly when Indian warplanes attacked a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Balakot, Pakistan in February 2019 in retaliation for the Pulwama terror attack. India has consistently stated that it wants to have healthy relations with Pakistan, but believes it is up to Islamabad to remove terrorism and hostility for this to happen. The 23rd summit of the leaders of the SCO member nations will be held in Islamabad on October 15 and 16 with tight security measures in place. On Sunday, foreign delegations began arriving in the country, including a 76-member Russian delegation and seven representatives from the SCO.
An official delegation of four members from India has also arrived in Pakistan, according to airport sources. A group of 15 representatives from China, another group of 4 representatives from Kyrgyzstan, and a third group of 2 representatives from Iran also arrived in Islamabad. The Islamabad Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Nasir Ali Rizvi stated that a detailed security plan had been prepared for the upcoming summit in the federal capital. He mentioned that security staff will be stationed at entry points, hotels, and locations hosting foreign delegations to safeguard their safety.
Rizvi mentioned that search and information-oriented activities are currently ongoing, with the Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies, Frontier Corps (FC), and Rangers personnel fulfilling their responsibilities. The police chief mentioned that over 9,000 police personnel have been sent out for security purposes. The government has already sent military forces to the capital to address any potential issues, and has also declared a prohibition on all forms of demonstrations and gatherings in Islamabad, adjacent Rawalpindi, and a few other urban areas.
At the same time, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has warned of organizing a demonstration on October 15 to protest the limitations placed on their imprisoned leader Imran Khan, and has requested that the government permit him to see his family, legal team, and medical personnel. In the midst of the demands for protest, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan was completely ready to host the SCO summit. “We are prepared to greet the summit attendees warmly, which includes the Indian foreign minister,” he informed the press while reviewing the event’s preparations in Islamabad. He stated that after a number of years, Pakistan was hosting a significant international event and would manage its duties exceptionally well.
Dar mentioned that the Chinese Premier will also engage in one-on-one discussions with the Pakistani Prime Minister. He mentioned that India has not requested a bilateral meeting. Dar indirectly criticized a certain political party, insinuating they were attempting to disrupt the summit by encouraging protests. Dar stated that protests during events of national importance do not convey a positive message. The SCO, founded in 2001, seeks to enhance political, economic, and security collaboration in the area.