Islamabad, August 30, 2024, The Europe Today: Pakistan officially announced on Thursday that an invitation has been extended to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the upcoming Heads of Government meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in October. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on October 15-16.
“I can confirm that invitations have been extended to all Heads of Government of SCO member countries, including the prime minister of India, for the forthcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,” the spokeswoman for the Foreign Office (FO) stated during the weekly media briefing. However, she added, “We are not in a position to share the responses at this stage. Further updates will be shared in due course.”
The SCO Heads of Government meeting will be preceded by ministerial meetings and several rounds of senior officials’ meetings covering various areas.
In response to a question about trade relations with India, the spokeswoman clarified, “Pakistan does not have bilateral trade relations with India. Regarding data on trade and any indirect imports and exports that may be taking place, I would refer you to the Ministry of Commerce, which would have a clearer picture on this issue.”
Addressing another query, she emphatically rejected any notion of holding talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “As I said in the past, Pakistan has no plans to engage in any talks with TTP. We believe that such offers are an affront to the thousands of victims of TTP who have been killed in Pakistan. Pakistan, therefore, advises the Afghan authorities to take action against the TTP and other terror groups that continue to threaten Pakistan’s security and have been involved in the killing of Pakistani nationals on Pakistani territory.”
The spokeswoman highlighted that the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan is a well-established fact. “Pakistan has expressed its concerns on this issue on several occasions, including in our bilateral communications with the Afghan authorities. Pakistan has shared concrete evidence of the involvement of individuals based in Afghanistan in terrorist incidents inside Pakistan. The presence of terror groups, including TTP, in Afghanistan is confirmed by multiple independent reports, including by the United Nations. We expect the Afghan authorities to take concrete and robust action against these terror groups and prevent their activities that endanger Pakistan’s security.”
Regarding Pakistan’s debt with China due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the spokeswoman emphasized that the public debt related to CPEC projects represents a small percentage of Pakistan’s total debt. “CPEC is a transformational project that has contributed positively and transparently to Pakistan’s national development. It enjoys support and popularity across all provinces and political divides in Pakistan. CPEC has helped address development gaps in energy, infrastructure, industrialization, and job creation. Moreover, the public debt obtained from China has longer maturity periods with low interest rates.”
When questioned about China and the UAE accepting Afghan ambassadors and Pakistan’s stance on this matter, the spokeswoman reiterated Pakistan’s clear position regarding the recognition of the interim Afghan government.
