ISLAMABAD – Following India’s decision to convert the format of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to a virtual meeting without providing any explanation, the Foreign Office has confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the meeting virtually.
The regional summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi, India, on July 4, and member countries including Pakistan, Russia, and China will participate in the virtual format. Even if it were an in-person event, Russia and China would not have been able to attend.
FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated in the weekly briefing that Pakistan had received an official invitation from the Indian prime minister for the virtual meeting. She added that Pakistan’s participation in the summit would be announced in the coming days.
Regarding talks with the Afghan Taliban, who have proposed talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to address terrorist activities, Baloch referred to a statement made by the foreign minister, emphasizing that Pakistan would not negotiate with individuals responsible for killing Pakistani civilians and law enforcement officials. However, she mentioned that Pakistan continues to engage with the interim Afghan government in Kabul but did not provide further details.
Highlighting the importance of countering terrorism, Baloch stated that Pakistan regularly engages with the interim Afghan government to address the menace of terrorism. She expressed hope that the commitments made in the trilateral outcome declaration between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China would be fulfilled to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a source of terrorism and instability for neighboring countries.
Additionally, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is scheduled to visit Japan on July 2-3. During his visit, he will hold substantive talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Tokyo.
PM Shehbaz leaves for Uzbekistan to attend SCO summit tomorrow
