No Embrace, Only Formality: When Jaishankar Met Sharif at SCO Dinner in Islamabad | WATCH

Islamabad: At a dinner reception for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) delegates in Islamabad, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar maintained a formal tone in his interaction with Pakistan 's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Instead of the usual embrace, the two leaders exchanged a handshake before engaging in a brief conversation. 

 It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan . The external affairs minister will lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday.

"Landed in Islamabad to take part in SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting," Jaishankar posted on 'X' along with photographs of children and officials welcoming him with flowers at the airport.

Sushma Swaraj's Historic Visit to Pakistan in 2015

The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan held from December 8-9, 2015. Jaishankar, who was then India's foreign secretary, was part of Swaraj's delegation. During the visit, Swaraj held talks with her then counterpart Sartaj Aziz.

Following the Swaraj-Aziz talks, a joint statement was released in which both sides announced their decision to start a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.

PM Modi's Surprise Stopover in Pak

Little over two weeks after Swaraj's trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sprang a surprise with a 150-minute visit to Lahore on his way back home from Kabul.  PM Modi visited the ancestral home of his then-Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and had talks to open ways for peace.

Series of Terror Attacks on India By Pak-Based Terrorists

However, a series of terror attacks on India by Pakistan -based terrorists significantly strained the ties subsequently. Before Jaishankar left for Pakistan , India on Tuesday said that it remains actively engaged in various mechanisms of the SCO.

Pakistan is hosting the two-day SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on October 15 and 16.

"The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meeting. India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework," it said in a brief statement in New Delhi.

Both sides have already ruled out any bilateral talks between Jaishankar and his Pakistan counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the SCO heads of the government summit.

In his recent address at an event, Jaishankar said, "like with any neighbour, India would certainly like to have good relations with Pakistan . But that cannot happen by overlooking cross-border terrorism and indulging in wishful thinking." 

The decision to send the senior minister is seen as a display of India's commitment to the SCO. China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will be represented by their prime ministers while Iran’s First Vice President will be attending the summit.

Indo-Pak Ties 

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

The relations further deteriorated after India on August 5, 2019, announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370.

India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement.

Pakistan 's then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India in May 2023 to attend an in-person meeting of the foreign ministers of SCO nations in Goa . It was the first visit of a Pakistani foreign minister to India in almost 12 years.

(With PTI Inputs)