Pak-India foreign ministers meet on sidelines of SCO Summit

The extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of Pakistan and India was held on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Islamabad in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting was held during lunch which was hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for guests.

During lunch, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar sat together and they also held conversation. The meeting of both leaders was held at the holding room and at the lunch table. The meeting of the foreign ministers was arranged on India's request. Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs officials changed the seating arrangement to accommodate the two foreign ministers together. The sources said the conversation between the Indian Foreign Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan is currently not being disclosed.

Earlier, the first visit to Pakistan by a top Indian diplomat in nearly 10 years was an "ice-breaker", the information minister said Wednesday, as regional heads of governments gathered for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

"I believe his arrival here is an ice-breaker," the information minister Attaullah Tarar said on the sidelines of the summit in the capital Islamabad.

"Yesterday, when all the leaders were being welcomed and there were handshakes, I think positive images were sent out globally."

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greeted each other with a handshake and sombre expressions at the start of an official dinner for the visiting leaders of the SCO bloc on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Attaullah Tarar termed Pakistan’s hosting of 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit as a milestone in the context of international relations.
Talking to media persons at Media Facilitation Center at Pak-China Friendship Centre, Tarar said some inimical elements were claiming that Pakistan has been isolated at international level but now the world can see that the heads of major countries had visited our country.
“Russian and Chinese Prime Ministers’ arrival in Pakistan is good omen for us Pakistan reputation has been restored with this summit”, he added.
He said that Pakistan had made excellent arrangements for the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit being held in Islamabad today.
He said after 27 years an event of this magnitude was being hosted by Pakistan. “It is definitely an honour for Pakistan to host the 23rd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “, he remarked.
He said that Islamabad, one of the most beautiful cities of the world, has been specially decorated for this summit and the foreign delegates have given good remarks about the city.

Reporter: Anwar Abbas