WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCREASING NUMBER OF STRAY DOG ATTACKS?

 

SCO SUMMIT IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN INDIA-PAK RELATIONS

                               

       Sources: By Kremlin.ru, CC    BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150028667

Recently, S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government summit in Islamabad, Pakistan. FM Jaishankar was welcomed by Shahbaz Sharif at the PM's residence. Jaishankar and Sharif shook hands and also had a brief conversation.

During this summit, informal talks were held with Pakistan's PM and the Indian Foreign Minister. The atmosphere of the talks was said to have been more positive than that of previous meetings.

This was the first visit of a top Indian minister to its neighboring country in almost a decade. The last Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She went to Islamabad to participate in the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan on 8-9 December 2015.

The SCO summit lasted two days (15-16 October) in Islamabad. Economic cooperation was one of the issues discussed in the meeting, which resulted in proposals for an economic dialogue program and strategies to enhance economic cooperation. The joint statement emphasized cooperation in areas such as green growth, digital economy, trade, poverty alleviation, and renewable energy.

A total of 10 member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus - participated in the summit. Leaders of 16 other countries also participated as observers. Iran and Belarus became members of this organization in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Russia has sent a huge delegation of 76 members for this conference. China has sent its 15 diplomats to the summit. But only a 4-member delegation has been sent from India to Pakistan.

What are the key facts about SCO?

SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China. It was established by six founding countries namely Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which evolved from the Shanghai Five mechanism.

SCO aims to strengthen mutual trust among member countries, enhance cooperation in various fields, ensure regional peace and stability, and promote a fair international political and economic order. The Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meets annually to discuss SCO cooperation strategies, prioritize areas, and approve the budget.

The SCO has two permanent bodies. The Secretariat is based in Beijing and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization. The Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent, focuses on regional security and counter-terrorism efforts.

The SCO has developed partnerships with various organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and several United Nations agencies.

Know the positive developments between India and Pakistan

The best thing was that in this summit, sensitive issues like Kashmir did not come up directly during the talks between India and Pakistan, nor did India make any specific reference to Pakistan on the issue of cross-border terrorism. Both India and Pakistan did not use controversial language in their national statements. 

In his departure speech, the Foreign Minister described the SCO meeting as positive and productive and also praised the Pakistani leadership. The discussions on topics such as trade, connectivity, energy flow, and cooperation against terrorism, separatism, and extremism were completely meaningful and there was no contradiction of any kind. Rather, there was a meaningful discussion on cooperation on regional issues. 

Economic cooperation was also an issue discussed among other issues in the meeting, which resulted in proposals for an economic dialogue programme and strategies to enhance economic cooperation. The joint statement emphasized cooperation in areas such as green growth, digital economy, trade, poverty alleviation, and renewable energy.

Reasons for not discussing bilateral relations

India is actively involved in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework. That is why, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar attended this summit as India's representative. However, it has already been clarified by India that Jaishankar has come only for the SCO summit and he will not discuss bilateral relations during this time. There are many reasons for this. But the main reason is the lack of warmth in relations between India and Pakistan for a long time. As far as I understand, there can be the following reasons for not having bilateral relations for long time:

§     India's decision to revoke the special status (Article 370) of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 further deteriorated already fragile relations. Pakistan considers it an illegal merger, while India considers it an internal matter.
§      On 7 August 2019, Pakistan unilaterally downgraded diplomatic relations with India to the Chargé d'affaires level and expelled the Indian High Commissioner, in response to India's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
§      Disputes over the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects in particular have escalated tensions, with Pakistan alleging that India is violating the treaty. India has formally requested a review and amendment of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, which Pakistan did not like.
§      Following the Pulwama attack in 2019, India revoked Pakistan's “Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status and Pakistan suspended bilateral trade.
§      The abrogation of Article 370 hindered bilateral trade.
§      Pakistan has accused India of fomenting unrest in its Balochistan province and supporting separatist movements there. India has accused Pakistan of radicalizing Kashmiri youth and internationalizing the Kashmir issue.

Need to reduce mistrust:

Both India and Pakistan are part of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which aims to promote cooperation in combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism. It provides a framework where the two countries can work together on common security threats, even though their bilateral relations are strained.

The United Nations General Assembly and other international forums involve the participation of many countries, which can act as mediators for constructive dialogue. Multilateral diplomacy can reduce tensions, as seen in the Kargil conflict in 1999, where international pressure played a role in de-escalating the situation.

For instance, through SAARC, the two nations have previously collaborated on regional trade agreements. The potential for cooperation in areas such as climate change, disaster management, and public health remains high.

Who said what about the participation of the Foreign Minister in the SCO Summit?

Speaking to Pakistan's news channel '24 News', Pakistan's former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar described Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan as a smart move by India. According to a French international news agency, the first visit to Pakistan by a top Indian diplomat in nearly 10 years was an "ice breaker".

A writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief and the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center said that Jaishankar’s visit does show a degree of stabilization in India-Pakistan bilateral ties.

In answer to The Wire’s question on whether trade ties can be restored, Pakistan’s Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary said, “I think we need to go back to the spirit of the Lahore Declaration. That was a high point between the leaderships of both countries, achieved by Nawaz Sharif and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

Asked by The Wire if there was interest in Pakistan for an improvement in ties with India, former caretaker prime minister of Pakistan Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said, “I’ll be honest. I see a deep appetite on our part – in the military, security apparatus, political parties, and even among the mullahs and liberals.”

Overall the SCO summit was a success. 

The successful organization of the SCO summit amidst the rapidly changing and turbulent international environment was certainly an achievement. This organization has always been moving towards its goal. No matter how in Islamabad where the summit was organized, the entire city was put under lockdown due to fear of terror attacks. The army was deployed at every corner.

These platforms not only allow informal talks and track-two diplomacy (informal, non-official discussions) but also play a good role in reducing tensions and keeping the channels of communication open.

However, given the current circumstances of the SCO, it is important not only to maintain this principle but also to give it additional strength and energy so that its pace of development can be accelerated because this kind of approach is needed in the present times.

 

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