SCO Summit likely eased Indo-Pak tensions: Indian journalist

• Atmosphere was “cordial”, says Indian journalist Geeta Mohan.
• “It is probably a start towards better relations,” she adds.
• “India made positive, constructive contribution”, says Jaishankar.
  

Soon after Pakistan hosted a successful Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government Summit, discussions surrounding the potential breaking of ice between Islamabad and New Delhi have begun.

India, ensuring its participation in the high-level summit, sent it Extrenal Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, who termed the event as a “productive meeting”, soon after his speech.

“Signed eight outcome documents. India made a positive and constructive contribution to the deliberations,” he wrote on X.

The Indian minister earlier also shook hands with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following his arrival at the Jinnah Convention Centre — moments before the summit commenced.

In his departure note from Islamabad on Wednesday, Jaishankar thanked the Pakistani premier, his counterpart Ishaq Dar and the government for the “hospitality and courtesies”.

Following his significant visit, Geeta Mohan, the executive editor of India Today and an expert of diplomatic affairs, wrote that there were “no fireworks” during the Indian FM’s visit for the event.

“The minister highlighted the need for ‘mutual trust’, ‘friendship’ and ‘good neighbourliness’,” she wrote in his dispatch of the event for her publication.

Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Mohan said that this is the first time in a long time that the atmosphere was “cordial” right from the time Jaishankar landed in Pakistan to when he departed.

“The statements issued from both sides reflected that [the situation] tempered down. We later received news that the leadership had a discussion — Jaishankar had a discussion with Shehbaz Sharif sahib — during lunch at the waiting room and hallways,” said Mohan.

She then highlighted that a Geo News video also showed a discussion between the Indian minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

“This was not just an informal ‘chit chat’, but a little more than that has happened. It is important to understand and find out what was discussed. It is probably a start towards better relations,” the journalist said.

Mohan maintained that the Indian FM, in his speech, touched upon cross-border terrorism and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) without naming Pakistan and China in either subjects.

The India Today journalist said that the governments of countries also play a huge role in maintaining ties and that the relations between Pakistan and India during former premier Imran Khan’s rule had grown “acrimonious”.

During the coalition government in 2023, on the other hand, when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was visiting India as the foreign minister to attend a SCO conclave hosted by India, the ties were at a point that he did not get a chance to even post anything positive on social media — even though he was the first Pakistani FM to visit India in 12 years at the time.

Mohan insisted that the take of the Sharif family has played a major role in improving relations between the two rival nations.

It should be noted that Jaishankar was the first foreign minister of the arch-rival country to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade.

 Speaking about the Indian FM visit to Pakistan in nearly 10 years, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar termed it an “ice breaker”.

“Neither us nor them requested for a bilateral meeting… but I believe his arrival here is an ice breaker,” AFP quoted the information minister as saying.

“Yesterday, when all the leaders were being welcomed and there were handshakes, I think positive images were sent out globally.”