Jaishankar shakes hands with Pakistan PM at SCO welcome dinner

New Delhi, Oct 15: Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon to attend the 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) where he was received by the Pakistan officials.

On the first day of the summit, Jaishankar participated in a welcome dinner hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the participating dignitaries where he briefly shook hands with the Prime Minister Sharif and exchanged a few words.

The welcome dinner, hosted by Prime Minister Sharif, marked the beginning of the SCO summit, which is being held under Pakistan's chairmanship.

The official summit will take place on October 16, focusing primarily on trade and economic cooperation among member states.

India, as an active participant in the SCO, will be represented at the high-level meeting by Dr. Jaishankar, who is set to engage with leaders from member countries including China, Russia, Iran, and several Central Asian nations.

Sixteen additional countries affiliated as observers or dialogue partners are also attending the summit.

The event opened amidst tight security in Islamabad, with over 10,000 police and paramilitary forces deployed. The military is overseeing security around key locations, especially the event venue and other sensitive areas within the capital’s Red Zone.

Business operations and several roads in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi have been temporarily shut down to ensure safety. Additionally, 14 venues have been designated to accommodate the 900 international delegates expected to attend the summit.

The official proceedings will commence on Wednesday at the Jinnah Convention Centre, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will deliver opening remarks. Leaders from member states will then present their statements.

Reports suggest Jaishankar may hold meetings with his Chinese and Russian counterparts on the sidelines of the summit. However, he has stated that there will be no discussions on bilateral issues with Pakistan during this visit, which marks the first by an Indian external affairs minister to Islamabad in nearly a decade. Jaishankar is expected to return to Delhi on Wednesday evening following his 24-hour stay.

Several high-level representatives from the region, including the prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, and several Central Asian nations, along with Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. Observer state Mongolia and special guest Turkmenistan are attending the summit.