ISLAMABAD: The foreign minister will attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in India on May 4 and 5, according to a spokesperson of the Foreign Office.
The invitation to attend was extended to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari by S. Jaishankar, minister for external affairs of India, who is the current chair of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (SCO-CFM), recalled Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.
It will be the first visit to India by a top government official since then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif attended Indian chief executive Narendra Modi’s swearing-in in 2014.
Addressing a press briefing in Islamabad, Baloch noted that Pakistan’s participation reflects its commitment to the SCO charter and processes, as well as its foreign policy priorities.
The spokesperson also highlighted other recent diplomatic engagements, including Climate Minister Sherry Rehman’s attendance at the SCO Meeting of Heads of Ministries on Environmental Protection, which was held online in New Delhi on April 18.
In addition, the director of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) attended the SCO Expert Meeting of Heads of Agencies for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations virtually, while Idrees Mahsud, a member of Disaster Risk Reduction, is virtually participating in the SCO Meeting of Heads of Agencies for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations.
Baloch mentioned Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s participation in the 4th Meeting of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan held on April 13 in Samarkand, where she emphasized the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and called for humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan.
Khar also participated in the Meeting of the Quadrilateral Group on Afghanistan, which includes China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia, and underscored the untapped potential for connectivity to foster new opportunities for the region.
Furthermore, the spokesperson updated the media on the resumption of Pakistan’s Head of Mission in Afghanistan, Ubaid Nizamani, who has returned to Kabul and resumed his responsibilities after consultation with the Taliban government.
Bhutto-Zardari also spoke with his Afghanistan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, on April 15 to reiterate Kabul’s responsibility towards the safety and security of Pakistan’s mission and personnel in Afghanistan.
Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) with Bulgaria and Portugal were held on April 11 and 13, respectively, where various regional and global issues of mutual interest were discussed.
The spokesperson also addressed concerns over the safety and security of the Pakistani community in Sudan and reiterated the government’s commitment to facilitating and prioritizing the well-being of Pakistanis abroad.
The spokesperson expressed concern over the ongoing restrictions and curbs imposed by Indian occupation authorities on the freedom of religion in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesperson urged Indian authorities to end the restrictions and emphasised that Pakistan will continue to raise its voice against human rights violations in the region.
Pakistan also reaffirmed its commitment to extending political, diplomatic, and moral support to the people of Kashmir for a just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
