Pakistan has announced the confirmation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to be physically present at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa early next month.
During the two days meeting from May 4-5, all the member countries of the grouping are expected to be present in person. Given the state of bilateral relations which is at an all-time low at the moment, acceptance of the invitation to attend the meeting physically is significant. Cross border terrorism continues. According to foreign policy experts, nothing major will emerge out of this visit of the Pakistan Foreign Minister.
On Thursday (April 20, 2023) Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch in Islamabad confirmed that foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto will be present physically in Goa to attend the meeting. Hina Rabbani Khar was the last Pakistan foreign minister to come to India in July 2011. And in 2014 former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to New Delhi to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration.
What should one expect out of this visit?
Nothing says a former diplomat. “I don’t expect any major shift in bilateral track but surely India being a host all basic courtesies and protocols will be extended to the visiting Pak Minister. While this meeting and its outcomes may lead to PM Sharif attending the SCO Summit in July the cantankerous issues between the two countries remain to be addressed by Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” Ambassador Anil Trigunayat opines.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not given any confirmation so far on any bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the FMs meeting in Goa.
Earlier this year in January, Financial Express Online had first reported on New Delhi’s invitation to Islamabad to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting which is scheduled to take place next month in Goa. At that time there was no clarity if the Foreign Minister of Pakistan would accept the invitation to attend the meeting physically.
Sharing his views with Financial Express Online, former Ambassador Anil Trigunayat “India and Pakistan joined SCO the same year. It is an important regional organisation which this year is being chaired by India.
“It is good that FM Bhutto has decided to participate at the FMs meet in Goa . Pakistan is in a bad shape and this will provide him an opportunity to flag Pakistan’s economic plight to various Member countries, “he adds.
The Invitation
All the member states received their invitation through the Indian Missions and the invitation to Pakistan Foreign Minister was also sent through the Indian Mission in Islamabad. An invitation was also sent to the new Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang. There is no final confirmation from the Chinese side so far.
Bilateral Relations between India and Pakistan
The ties between the two sides strained severely following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir – this was by Pakistan backed terrorists and later in response India carried out surgical strikes on the terrorists training camps in Pakistan based Balakot.
The relations deteriorated further when India in August 2019 announced the withdrawal of the special powers and bifurcation of the state in two Union Territories.
In 2017, India became a full member of SCO in the month of June. There are four Observer States too – Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, Belarus and there are six dialogue partners – Nepal, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile Terror Attack on Indian Army
On Thursday five Indian Army soldiers were killed and several others injured in a terror attack in Kashmir’s Poonch district when grenades were thrown at an army vehicle which was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in the district.
According to an official statement issued by the Indian Army’s Northern Command “Five personnel who were deployed for Counter Terrorist operations in the area lost their lives in the incident. They were from the Rashtriya Rifles Unit.”
And, one soldier who was seriously wounded was rushed to a military hospital for treatment.
Indian Army Chief has already briefed the defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the attack.