Pakistan Confirms It Will Invite All SCO Member Nations
Pakistan has confirmed that it will invite the Heads of State/Government of all Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries to the SCO Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad next year.
The statement came after a journalist asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be offered an invitation to attend the summit. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said as the host country, it is required to invite all SCO member countries without exception.
What Did Pakistan Say?
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said invitations would be sent to all member countries at the level of Heads of State or Heads of Government, depending on how each country chooses to participate.
According to the ministry, invitations to all SCO members are part of Pakistan's responsibility as the host of the summit. The statement stated that all eligible leaders, including India's Prime Minister, would be invited.
India-Pakistan Relations Remain Tense
Although Pakistan has confirmed that it will invite India, relations between the two countries are still strained.
India and Pakistan have not held sustained bilateral talks since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, when New Delhi suspended the composite dialogue process. Many attempts to repair relations have been frustrated by terror attacks that India has blamed on Pakistan-based terrorist groups.
Tensions increased after recent developments
The relations between the two neighbours became even more tense after the Pahalgam terror attack last year. India has taken a number of diplomatic and economic measures to respond to Pakistan.
These included military strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, which has only intensified tensions between the two countries.
Despite these differences, Pakistan's latest statement indicates that diplomatic protocol will be followed for the SCO Summit by inviting all member nations.
Will PM Modi attend the SCO Summit?
While Pakistan has confirmed that an invitation will be sent, there is no official confirmation yet on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the SCO Summit in Islamabad.
The decision on India's participation will be based on diplomatic and security reasons closer to the event.
If you would like to write down some of the results, what are the things to mention along with the information given and what is needed to improve the analysis of the final results?
Pakistan has said it will invite all SCO member countries, including India, to the SCO meeting in Islamabad next year. But relations between the two countries are still bad, so far, it is not clear whether Modi will attend the high-level meeting. The final decision will be made after further diplomatic discussions.