ISLAMABAD: India’s For­eign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organi­sation’s (SCO) heads of government meeting in Pakistan this month, according to an announcement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“EAM Jaishankar will lead a delegation to Pakistan for the SCO summit, which will be held in Islamabad on Oct 15th and 16th,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a briefing in New Delhi.

Pakistan is hosting the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government under its rotating chairmanship. The SCO summit will see participation of heads of government and senior-level delegations from several countries. Jai­shankar will represent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the forum.

PM Modi was always expected to skip the meeting due to ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Delhi over the Kashmir dispute, accusations of terrorism, and a history of military conflicts. He typically skips meetings of the SCO’s Council of Heads of Government, the organisation’s second-highest forum, and instead sends a ministerial representative.

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The Indian premier usually participates in the top forum, the SCO Council of Heads of State, which last met in Astana on July 3-4.

Despite Modi’s non-attendance, Jaishankar’s participation marks the first time a senior-ranking Indian minister will visit Pakistan in nearly a decade. The last such visit was by then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in December 2015 for the Heart of Asia ministerial meeting. Days later, Modi made a surprise trip to Lahore, where he met then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Later in August 2016, India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh attended a meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) home ministers in Islamabad, amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours over unrest in held Kashmir. However, just a month later, India led a boycott of the Saarc summit in Pakistan, causing its collapse by pulling out and convincing regional allies to do the same. Saarc, which requires all members to participate, has not held a summit since then.

Diplomatic ties between the two arch-rivals have mostly remained strained, hitting a new low in February 2019 after India launched airstrikes in Pakistani territory and later on Aug 5, “revoked the special status” of held Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the strained relations with India, Pakistan’s willingness to engage was demonstrated in the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019.

Last month, at the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar strongly criticised Pakistan for its alleged role in cross-border terrorism. He argued that while many nations face challenges beyond their control, some consciously make choices that lead to disastrous consequences, citing Pakistan as an example. He further remarked that a government that instills fanaticism in its people will see its GDP driven by radicalisation and its exports characterised by terrorism. He said that Pakistan is now suffering the consequences of its own actions and cannot blame the world, calling it “karma”.

Earlier in June, following Modi’s re-election, Jaishankar stated: “With Pakistan, we seek a solution to the issue of cross-border terrorism. That cannot be the policy of a good neighbour.”

India’s participation in the SCO reflects a delicate balancing act. While it values regional security cooperation, India is wary of China’s growing influence within the organisation. By selectively engaging in SCO meetings, India aims to counterbalance China’s dominance while fostering ties with Central Asian nations.

Last year, then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari attended the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa, India.

Heightened security

Meanwhile, the government has ordered the deployment of army troops in Islamabad, ahead of the upcoming SCO meeting. The move comes as the country grapples with political unrest and ongoing terrorism threats.

The federal government issued a notification authorising the deployment of the Pakistan Army in the capital to assist civil authorities in maintaining law and order during the high-profile event.

The notification, issued under Article 245 of the Constitution and sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, stated: “The federal government... is pleased to authorise deployment of requisite strength of Pakistan Army in aid of civil power from 5th to 17th October 2024 in Islamabad Capital Territory for maintaining law and order... with respect to the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.” It added that the exact number of troops and their areas of deployment will be determined by Islamabad’s administration in coordination with event stakeholders.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024