Pakistan extends bold invitation to PM Modi for SCO meeting: How will India respond?
PTC News Desk: Pakistan has extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, scheduled for October 15-16 in Islamabad.
Despite the invitation, it is widely expected that PM Modi will likely stay in India due to ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Speculation is rife about whether Modi might send a high-ranking minister to represent India at the meeting instead.
As the current chair of the SCO, Pakistan's invitation to India follows the established protocol of the organization. While Modi has traditionally participated in SCO heads of state summits, he was notably absent from this year's summit in Kazakhstan, citing a parliamentary session clash as the reason for his absence.
The CHG meeting is a crucial decision-making body within the SCO, focusing on economic and security issues. In the past, India has often been represented by ministerial-level delegates at these meetings, such as Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, who attended last year’s meeting in Bishkek.
The Indian government has yet to announce its official response to Pakistan's invitation. Given the recent escalation in tensions, including terror attacks in Jammu and ongoing disputes over Kashmir, India's participation in the meeting remains uncertain.
While there have been ongoing efforts to promote cooperation within the SCO framework, the deep-rooted issues between India and Pakistan continue to hinder progress in bilateral relations. The decision on whether India will attend the meeting, and if so, at what level, will likely reflect the current state of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
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- With inputs from agencies
