Pakistan has invited all heads of government of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the October Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced on Thursday.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, she said Islamabad had already received confirmations from some countries for the event that would be hosted by Pakistan on Oct. 15-16. However, it remains unclear whether the Indian premier would attend the gathering in Pakistan.
Earlier this week, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs denies media reports that Modi had outright rejected the invitation, directing media outlets to refrain from any speculation until a formal announcement. Experts maintain that Modi is unlikely to attend, adding that India could send its foreign minister to represent the premier instead.
Pakistan and India continue to be at odds over Kashmir since Delhi’s unilateral abrogation of the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir. Noting the region’s status as an internationally recognized disputed territory, she said the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions clearly stated that the final disposition of the dispute would be made in accordance with the will of the people through a U.N.-supervised plebiscite.
Talks with TTP
To a query on a recent offer by the Afghan Taliban to facilitate dialogue between Pakistan and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch reasserted that Islamabad had no plans to engage in any talks with the outlawed group. She said the presence of terror groups, including the TTP, in Afghanistan was an established fact and was confirmed by multiple international reports. “We expect the Afghan authorities to take robust action against these terror groups and prevent their activities that endanger Pakistan’s security,” she said, stressing that dialogue was not possible with anyone involved in the killings of Pakistanis and foreigners.
She also said Pakistan had bilaterally shared “concrete evidence” of the involvement of Afghanistan-based individuals and groups in terrorist incidents within Pakistan.
CPEC projects
To a question on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the spokesperson said it was a “transformational” project that had facilitated Pakistan’s national development, and enjoyed the support of all the country’s political forces.
She also dismissed a question on PTI founder Imran Khan’s bid to be elected chancellor of Oxford University, saying it was a “political” question.