Pakistan FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to attend SCO meet in Goa, says Pak, but attack casts shadow

In January, The Indian Express had first reported on New Delhi’s invitation to Islamabad to attend the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting. The invitation from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was sent through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Announcing Islamabad’s participation, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said this “reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO charter and processes, and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities.”

India and Pakistan are members of the SCO, which has eight members including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Similar invitations have been sent to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov along with the others. There has been no official confirmation from these ministers yet, but it is expected that they will attend the meeting.

But India’s invitation to Pakistan is significant, given that bilateral relations are at an all-time low. The last such visit was in December 2016, when Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz travelled to Amritsar to attend the Heart of Asia conference. But as his then Indian counterpart, Sushma Swaraj, was unwell, there was no bilateral meeting.

Before that, Aziz had received an invitation to India in August 2015, but the visit was called off after Swaraj asked him to desist from meeting Hurriyat leaders if he came to India.

In May 2014, then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had visited India to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

And in July 2011, then Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had visited India and held a bilateral meeting with then External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

The last time an Indian Foreign Minister visited Pakistan was in December 2015, when Swaraj travelled to Islamabad for the Heart of Asia conference. This was followed by Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore in December 2015.

But, the ties between the two countries have nosedived since then, with the terrorist attacks in Pathankot (January 2016), Uri (September 2016), and Pulwama (February 2019), and the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 revoking special status to Jammu and Kashmir. This led to downgrading of diplomatic relations, suspension of bilateral trade, review of bilateral arrangements, and suspension of all bus and train services between the two countries.

While the ties were adversely impacted with former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan taking a hardline and India not ready to compromise on terrorism emanating out of Pakistan, there was potential for improvement with the change in government in Islamabad — with Sharifs and Bhuttos in power.

In the last couple of years, the ceasefire along the Line of Control has been maintained, religious pilgrimages have been going on, and the Indus Waters Treaty has been observed.

But, that too has had its ups and downs. Last December, the two countries engaged in a diplomatic spat in New York as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar slammed Pakistan for being the “epicentre of terrorism”, and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots. The Ministry of External Affairs called his comments “uncivilised” and a “new low, even for Pakistan”.

But, in January this year, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in what is perceived as conciliatory remarks from Islamabad, called for “serious and sincere talks” with Modi on “burning issues like Kashmir”.

He also sought the intervention of UAE ruler Mohamed bin Zayed for bringing India and Pakistan together for talks, and gave his “word of honour” that he would talk to India with “sincerity of purpose”. Simultaneously, Pakistan’s ally, China, lifted the block on India’s bid to list Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki as a “global terrorist”. These two developments were viewed positively in New Delhi, as a signal towards re-engagement, sources told The Indian Express.

“In keeping with its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. India’s consistent position is that issues, if any, between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive environment. It has been made clear that India will not compromise on issues relating to national security and will take firm and decisive steps to deal with all attempts to undermine India’s security and territorial integrity,” said a top official.

Officially, the Indian establishment has maintained that there are no bilateral engagements, but the two countries have been engaging on multilateral platforms — and the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting is one such opportunity.