NewsGate Press Network

India has stated that a high level delegation will go to Pakistan later this month led by External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ‘Heads of Government’ (HoG) summit meeting.

This summit meeting is scheduled to be held for two days on October 15-16 in Islamabad

This was announced on Friday the fourth of October 2024 by the Official Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry Randhir Jaiswal during his weekly presser.

Jaiswal however declined to say if there would be any bilateral meetings on the side lines of the SCO meeting with Pakistan leaders.

“The visit is as far as our participation in the SCO is concerned… As the visit develops, we will keep you informed of it,” he added.

Pakistan is holding the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, and is hosting the in-person meeting of the regional bloc that includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asian nations.

Pakistan had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in August for the event, according to Pakistani news reports.

It may be recalled that Dr Jaishankar would be the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in almost nine years.

Randhir Jaiswal while reacting to the radical Islamic preacher and Indian fugitive Zakir Naik receiving a red-carpet welcome in Pakistan stated that it was disappointing and condemnable but added it is not surprising.

Naik, who fled India in 2016, faces charges in India of spreading hatred, money laundering and terrorism.