Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan Tuesday for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the first top Delhi diplomat to visit their arch-rival neighbour in nearly a decade.
Jaishankar's plane landed just before 3:30 pm (1030 GMT) at an airbase near the capital Islamabad, a foreign office official said, as state TV showed him receiving a bouquet of flowers from a host delegation that did not include any senior ministers.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries with longstanding political tensions, having fought three wars and numerous smaller skirmishes since they were carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947.
Relations have been particularly sour since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the limited autonomy of Indian-administered Kashmir.
The Himalayan region is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed by both in full, with each accusing the other of stoking militancy there.
Modi's 2019 move was celebrated across India but led Pakistan to suspend bilateral trade and downgrade diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
No bilateral meetings between India and Pakistam
Indian government spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said this month the agenda of Jaishankar's visit would strictly follow the SCO schedule, which is due to discuss trade, humanitarian and social issues.
"The Indian foreign minister has not requested a bilateral meeting, nor have we extended an invitation to them," Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday.
Islamabad is keen to project an image of stability and security during the conference after a rash of civic unrest in the capital and militant attacks elsewhere across Pakistan in recent weeks.
Former Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj was the last to visit Pakistan in 2015, arriving for a summit on Afghanistan.
Modi also made a surprise visit to Pakistan that year, shortly after taking office for his first term, sparking short-lived hopes of a thaw in relations.
The SCO is a block of 10 nations established by China and Russia, which have used the alliance to deepen their ties with Central Asian states and vie for influence in the region.
However, they have recently pitched the organisation as a competitor to the West.
The bloc claims to represent 40 percent of the world's population and about 30 percent of its GDP, but its members have diverse political systems and even open disagreements with one another.
Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in Goa last year -- also a rare visit -- for an SCO meeting where he and Jaishankar were involved in a verbal spat.
It was the first official visit by a senior Pakistani official to their eastern neighbour since 2016, but the two foreign ministers did not hold a one-on-one meeting.
Dignitaries continue to land in Islamabad
The foreign dignitaries continued to arrive in Islamabad to take part in the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Delegates from participating countries had already started arriving in the federal capital, which has received a facelift with colourful lights, floral decorations, and flags and banners from SCO member states to welcome the dignitaries.
The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the current chair of the Council. Pakistan had assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at the previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023, where the country was represented by then interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.
China's Premier Li Qiang landed in Islamabad on Monday and took part in a ceremony to inaugurate a Beijing-funded airport, located in Balochistan port city of Gwadar.
While Li did not travel to Balochistan, he "virtually" inaugurated Gwadar Airport at a ceremony held Monday in Islamabad.
The airport is next to Gwadar Port, the cornerstone project of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that connects China's Xinjiang region to Pakistan's coast.
"China will continue to work with Pakistan to uphold the principle of planning together, building together and benefitting together," Li said at the ceremony alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Kyrgyz PM arrives for SCO Summit
Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday to attend the twenty-third meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr Musaddik Malik warmly received the distinguished guest along with his delegation at Nur Khan Airbase.
Children dressed in traditional attire presented bouquets of flowers to the foreign dignitaries.
A red carpet was rolled out to welcome the guests, underscoring the importance of the event and the cordial relations between the two nations.
It may be mentioned that delegates from participating countries had already started arriving in the federal capital, which has received a facelift with colorful lights, floral decorations, and flags and banners from SCO member states to welcome the dignitaries.
The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif as the current chair of the Council.
Pakistan had assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at the previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023 where the country was represented by then interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.
Tajik PM welcomed
Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kohir Rasulzoda arrived in Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan warmly received the distinguished guest at Islamabad International Airport.
Children dressed in traditional attire presented bouquets of flowers to the foreign dignitaries.
A red carpet was rolled out to welcome the guests, underscoring the importance of the event and the cordial relations between the two nations.
The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the current chair of the Council.
Pakistan had assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at the previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023 where the country was represented by then interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.
Belarusian PM received
Belarusian Prime Minister, Roman Golovchenko arrived in Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Human Rights, and Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar warmly received the distinguished guest at Islamabad International Airport.
Turkmenistan minister arrives
Deputy Chairman of the Turkmenistan Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov arrived in Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui warmly received the distinguished guest at Islamabad International Airport. Children dressed in traditional attire presented bouquets of flowers to the foreign dignitaries.
Islamabad decorated for special guests' arrival
Extensive preparations have been made to welcome the distinguished guests, as Islamabad is beautifully decorated. Pictures of heads of state and national flags of SCO members adorn the city, with large screens installed for the event.
High security in place
The Red Zone has been sealed, and military personnel have been deployed at entry and exit points. Vehicles are allowed access to Margalla Road after thorough checks, while heavy transport is restricted in Rawalpindi. Metro bus services will remain suspended for three days.
The Foreign Office has shared details of the high-level meeting, which is anticipated to foster discussions on regional cooperation and strategic partnerships among SCO member states.
All we know about SCO
Established by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on June 15, 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation aimed at strengthening multisphere cooperation, promoting peace and security, and creating a new economic international order.
Pakistan joined the SCO in 2017, and Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at her recent weekly press briefing, said that since then the country worked consistently and constructively to strengthen good neighbourly relations and remained committed to the purposes and principles of the SCO Charter and the values of the Shanghai Spirit.
The supreme decision-making body of the SCO is the Council of Heads of States (CHS) which meets annually and decides upon all the important issues of the organisation.
The Council of Heads of Government is the second highest forum within the SCO, with a primary focus on fostering cooperation among member states in socio-economic, trade, and financial sectors.
The Council meets once a year to discuss the strategy of multilateral cooperation and priority areas within the Organisation, determine fundamental and topical issues in economic and other spheres, and approve the budget of the SCO.
The previous meeting of the SCO CHG was held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023 and Pakistan was represented by that time Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. In the said meeting, Pakistan had also assumed the rotating Chair of the Council of Heads of Government from 2023 to 2024. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visiting Jinnah Convention Centre to review preparations for the upcoming SCO Head of the Governments Summit
The SCO CHG meeting being held in Islamabad is expected to be attended by leaders from SCO states, including Prime Ministers of China Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, First Iranian Vice President Mohammadreza Aref, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Other participants include Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai as an Observer and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov as a Special Guest.
The representatives of international organisations, including the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the European Economic Community, are also expected to attend the moot.
Reporter: Rozina Ali