S Jaishankar Confirms No India-Pakistan Talks At SCO Summit, Cites Cross-Border Terrorism

India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, clarified that there will be no bilateral talks with Pakistan during his upcoming visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave in Islamabad, scheduled for mid-October.

Jaishankar emphasized that his visit is solely for the multilateral event, dismissing any speculations about discussions on India-Pakistan relations.

Photo Credit: PTI

Jaishankar Confirms No India-Pakistan Talks At SCO Summit

"I'm going there as a responsible member of the SCO, not to discuss bilateral issues with Pakistan," Jaishankar said on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi. However, he added with a touch of diplomacy, "Since I'm a courteous and civil person, I will behave myself accordingly."

This will mark the first time in nearly nine years that an Indian external affairs minister will travel to Pakistan, with relations between the two countries strained over cross-border terrorism. The last such visit was by the late Sushma Swaraj in 2015, who attended a conference on Afghanistan, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Jaishankar also took the opportunity to subtly criticize Pakistan for the stalling of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) initiative. He cited cross-border terrorism as the primary reason behind the halt in SAARC meetings. "SAARC is not moving forward because one member is engaged in cross-border terrorism," Jaishankar remarked. He added that terrorism is unacceptable, and as long as it persists, there can be no "business as usual" within the SAARC framework.

Despite the stagnation of SAARC, Jaishankar highlighted increased regional integration in South Asia over the past few years, attributing it to India's leadership and efforts to foster cooperation, as per media reports.

India maintains a firm stance against holding bilateral talks with Pakistan until the latter halts cross-border terrorism activities. Jaishankar's visit will be strictly for the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, set to take place in Islamabad on October 15-16, 2024.

The visit comes amidst ongoing tensions and follows India's consistent message: constructive dialogue cannot occur until terrorism ceases.