Published 21:23 IST, June 13th 2019
India leaves Pakistan trailing in its wake at SCO Summit, PM Modi talks terror with Imran Khan's 'all-weather friend' China while Pak PM receives tepid welcome
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan are sharing space at the 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan are sharing at two-day 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek.
Amid strained relations between India and Pakistan, Ministry of External Affairs tified that formal bilateral talks have been planned between two neighbours. However, in a hitch to Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi conducted bilateral talks with China, an 'all wear friend' of Pakistan on sidelines of SCO Summit.
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bilateral meeting between two neighbours was a first after Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was proscribed as a global terrorist by UNSC on May 1.
During talks, bringing up terror-friendly neighbour, PM Modi told China's President Xi Jinping that re is a need for Pakistan to create an atmosphere 'free to terrorism' fortifying its stand that 'talks and terrorism' don't go hand in hand.
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Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said, "re was a very brief discussion on Pakistan, time was a constraint. Prime Minister, in fact, said that we have a consistent position with respect to Pakistan. We discuss all issues through a bilateral mechanism and we look forward to peaceful settlement through negotiation. We are committed to this process, Prime Minister recalled that we have me efforts in this regard and se efforts have been derailed."
Prime Minister of Pakistan arrived at Bishkek for Summit while Indo-Si bilateral talks to strengn ties between two countries were underway.
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India me its presence felt at SCO Summit by holding bilateral talks with Russian President Vlimir Putin along with China, wherein plans to hold a trilateral meeting between India, Russia, and China on sidelines of G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan was ascertained.
Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to hold a third bilateral meet with ar leer from region and ar of Pakistan's neighbour, President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani following SCO dinner hosted for delegates.
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Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Special Assistant to PM on Youth Affairs Muhamm Usman Dar accompanied Pakistani PM.
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While it was anunced by Pakistan government on twitter that Imran Khan is expected to conduct meetings with or leers present at Summit, he is t kwn to have done so yet.
SCO summit in Bishkek this week would discuss ecomy-related issues and security cooperation with a focus on counter-terrorism, China said.
SCO is a China-led eight-member ecomic and security bloc. Its founding members include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were mitted to Beijing-based regional security grouping in 2017.
(With PTI inputs)
20:18 IST, June 13th 2019