Pakistan Invites Modi: Will He Attend?
Pakistan Invites Modi (Indian PM) to attend the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting. This huge meeting will take in Islamabad between October 15 and October 16. Being the current chair of the CHG, it is correct for Pakistan to extend an invitation since it’s in the standard operating procedure of the SCO. However, due to current tensions in India-Pakistan relations, there are questions regarding the participation of the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Modi.
SCO and India’s Past Participation
The CHG meeting is another coordinating and decision-making structure in the framework of the SCO. It remains one of the most important associations involved in policy-making and corresponding efforts among member nations. Earlier, India used to attend these meetings at the ministerial level. For instance, last year, India was represented at the CHG meeting held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. Although the SPI is central to the development of regional cooperation, tensions between India and Pakistan may keep Modi away from the SCO.
India’s Diplomatic Dilemma
Currently, the Indian government has not voiced its action to the invitation given by Pakistan. Due to ongoing tensions particularly over the Kasmir issue and the latest terrorist attacks on Jammu, it is also unsure whether India will attend the upcoming CHG meeting. Some believe that Modi may decide to remain in India and send a minister to represent him at the DC event. This approach has been applied before particularly whenever the two countries’ diplomatic relations were frozen.
Pakistan’s Role as Host
As the CHG’s rotating chairmanship, Pakistan has invited all SCO member countries, including India, to the summit. Thus, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif invited Modi through the official diplomatic decay, which indicates that Pakistan wants to respect the tradition of the SCO. Pakistan is the host country and thus, is charged with conducting the meeting and inviting all the members of the WSF.
The Impact of Modi’s Decision
Whether Modi will attend the SCO meeting in Pakistan or not will greatly affect the relations between India and Pakistan. His presence may mean that he is willing to talk even after all the tensions. On the other hand, if Modi stays in India then it could worsen relations further but India could still be represented by a ministerial team.
The implication of this next meeting is not just contained in the relations between India and Pakistan. This response from India particularly under Prime Minister Modi could define future interactions in the region and why it matters. Engagement or disengagement with Pakistan may also have an impact on the overall geostrategic interests of India especially in the framework of the SCO. When tensions rise, the global audience will pay attention to the prospects for regional security to be destabilized.
Previously, Modi has attended SCO heads of state summits on a routine basis. But he has not been able to attend this year’s event in Astana, Kazakhstan due to a parliamentary brawl. This track record demonstrates that India considers the SCO as one of the valuable theatres for cooperation, even in the period of mutual tensions.
The last crucial meeting will be in October, and the main concern will be India’s reaction to Pakistan’s invitation. In this case, the two countries are hostile, and this will make the decision even harder to make. Regardless of whether Modi attends the meeting in person or sends a stand-in, the result will affect not only the SCO meeting but also the general situation in the India-Pakistan relations. The world will be waiting for the development of this diplomatic situation.
