Defence Expert Reacts To India’s Jaishankar Leading SCO Summit In Pakistan: ‘A Deliberate Downgrading...’

New Delhi: As the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Pakistan to attend the SCO Summit, defence expert Robinder Sachdev commented on India’s fresh stance. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision of not participating already signals the ‘downgrading’ of India’s involvement.  

Jaishankar’s visit comes at a time when India is in a strained relationship with neighbour Pakistan over long-running cross-border terrorism, the EAM’s participation will ensure that New Delhi clearly communicates its position.  

"I believe we can expect Jaishankar to be his usual, assertive self. India will firmly present its views. While this is a meeting of heads of state, the Prime Minister's absence reflects a deliberate downgrading. It's significant that Jaishankar is attending, but it's clear that we haven't accorded the event the same priority, considering Pakistan's behaviour," ANI quoted Sachdev. 

He further pointed out the necessity to protect India's interests within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), stating, " The SCO is a valuable and crucial mechanism. We cannot reduce our role in it simply due to Pakistan. We must remain engaged and protect our interests." 

Sachdev highlighted that Pakistan has not addressed India's concerns regarding terrorism, stressing that "normal relations" between the two nations are not possible until Pakistan halts its support for terror activities. He also noted that while India's involvement in the SCO is "serious," it is not at the "level of heads of state." 

Sachdev explained that Pakistan uses anti-India propaganda to deflect attention from its internal challenges, particularly in areas such as the economy and terrorism. "Whenever possible, Pakistan disseminates propaganda against India, both domestically and internationally. This is to distract its public from its own failures,” he added. 

Last year, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting in India. The council of heads of government within the SCO is the group's second-highest decision-making body. Since 2017, India has been represented at this level by either the External Affairs Minister (EAM) or the Defence Minister, with the EAM participating in Bishkek last year. 

SCO Summit 2024 In Pakistan 

Pakistan is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in mid-October. 

In 2020, when India hosted the SCO meeting virtually, Pakistan was represented by its Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. The SCO, which includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a significant economic and security bloc, emerging as one of the largest trans-regional international organizations.

(With ANI inputs)