New Delhi, October 5 (IANS). Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan for the SCO summit to be held in the neighboring country Pakistan. There is a lot of discussion about an Indian minister going to Pakistan after a long time. Ashok Sajjanhar, former Indian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia and an expert in foreign affairs, had a special conversation with IANS on Saturday regarding this issue.
Ashok Sajjanhar said that last year Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Zardari Bhutto had come to India. But, this did not bring any benefit in bilateral cooperation and negotiations. In such a situation, as far as I think, there will be no bilateral talks or meetings during S. Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan. In such a situation, this visit should be seen only from the perspective of participating in the SCO Summit and not in a bilateral manner.
He said that the Prime Minister had been invited to the SCO summit. Because, this is going to be a meeting of Prime Ministers. This meeting is called the Head of Government, but above it there is a body called the Head of State. The Prime Minister always participates in this. PM Modi has never attended the Head of Government meeting. In such conferences, PM Modi used to send Defense Minister, Foreign Minister or any other minister. In such a situation, this time the Foreign Minister has been sent.
Ashok Sajjanhar said that some people say that we should participate in this meeting virtually. Pakistan’s attitude has been anti-India for the last few years, so in such a situation, what is the need to send a minister there. But, I would say that SCO is a very important platform and organization. It is very important for us to be there, for this the Foreign Minister is going there.
He said that nine more countries are its members and it seems that the Prime Ministers of all the countries will come there and participate in it. In such a situation, if India does not go here then the right message will not be sent. The right message will not be sent if India does not participate in the meeting because it is being held in Pakistan.
–IANS
SCH/CBT
