Neighboring Pakistan to attend SCO meeting in India, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto: What to Expect?

 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, scheduled to be held on May 4-5 in the Indian coastal state of Goa, is drawing delegations from neighboring Pakistan, with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto leading the group. While there has been no mention of any bilateral meeting between the two countries, the visit is considered significant in many ways.

In 2016, Sartaj Aziz, then-advisor on foreign affairs to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, had come to India, and earlier, the then-PM Nawaz Sharif had attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi in India. However, after the incidents of Uri and Pulwama, the relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate, and both countries had expelled or recalled their top diplomats and consular staff.

Despite this, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and current PM Shahbaz Sharif have publicly spoken in favor of India. Khan has praised India's foreign policy, while Sharif said in a TV interview that Pakistan has learned its lesson after three wars and wants peace with India.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister's visit to India is taking place at a time when bilateral relations between the two countries have weakened due to the absence of High Commissions, with both missions functioning with half the assigned officers. Pakistan had also reduced the number of missions by half after the abrogation of Article 370. While India has urged Pakistan to combat terrorism, Pakistan has called for the withdrawal of Article 370 for talks to resume.