Pakistan has extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of government meeting scheduled for October 15-16 in Islamabad. The announcement was made by Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during a weekly press briefing.
The SCO is a significant economic and security bloc that includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The invitation reflects Pakistan’s effort to foster diplomatic engagement despite the long-standing and often strained relations with India, primarily due to issues like Kashmir and cross-border terrorism.
The meeting will be preceded by a ministerial session and various senior officials’ meetings focusing on financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among member states. Baloch noted that while some countries have confirmed their participation, details about which countries have officially agreed to attend will be disclosed later.
This move comes against the backdrop of a downgrading of bilateral ties between India and Pakistan since August 2019, when India revoked Article 370, which granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.