Pak’s invite to India on SCO meet only a protocol: Analysts

Islamabad: As Pakistan has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Islamabad for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Governments (CHG) meeting, scheduled on October 15-16, analysts see it as a protocol and not political stunt.

“Pakistan has invited Indian PM Narendra Modi and other member states to visit Islamabad for the SCO meeting. Being a host, this is a formal invitation and part of the process in practice by the host country to invite all member states to attend the meeting,” sources in the Foreign Office said. PM Modi is unlikely to accept the invitation and visit Islamabad for the meeting as relations between the two neighbouring countries have been stretched since August 5, 2019, when India abrogated Article 370, changing the status of the state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

It is expected that PM Modi may depute a ministerial delegation to represent India as the SCO meeting does not require heads of state to participate. In the past as well, SCO CHG meetings have been represented by Indian ministerial appointments and the same is expected to come into force this time as well. Analysts are wary about the possibility of PM Modi visiting Islamabad.