ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended a formal invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit scheduled for mid-October in Islamabad. This marks the first time in eight years that Pakistan has invited the Indian leader. The summit is set for October 15 and 16, and invitations have also been sent to other SCO leaders by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The last time Modi was invited to a regional summit in Pakistan was in 2016, when he was set to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, which was ultimately boycotted by India and never convened. Since then, SAARC has struggled to function effectively.
Given the current strained relations between Pakistan and India, diplomatic sources express skepticism about Modi’s attendance in Islamabad. Despite this, skipping the SCO summit could be challenging for Modi due to the presence of other influential countries at the event. It remains a possibility that Modi might participate virtually if not in person. Regional groupings like the SCO have previously offered opportunities for dialogue between the two nations, though prospects for significant rapprochement seem limited at this juncture.
The SCO, founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, has grown to include India, Pakistan, and Iran as full members, with Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia as observers, and other countries as dialogue partners. The organization is perceived as a counterweight to Western alliances such as NATO and plays a crucial role in regional cooperation, particularly in addressing security concerns like terrorism and extremism.
The SCO also fosters economic collaboration through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to enhance trade, energy partnerships, and infrastructure development across Eurasia. It provides a platform for member states to align on significant international issues, often advocating for a multipolar world order and challenging Western dominance.
Pakistan participated in all SCO meetings hosted by India last year, either in person or virtually. Notably, Bilawal Bhutto attended the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa in May 2023. India had invited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the SCO summit in New Delhi, but India later decided to host the meeting virtually, possibly due to tensions with China and Pakistan. The SCO continues to play a vital role in fostering regional security and cooperation among its member states.
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