SCO invitation to Pakistan not in bilateral capacity, says former envoy

Former envoy Achal Malhotra has said that SCO invitation to Pakistan not in bilateral capacity. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government sources had earlier said that Islamabad is committed to the SCO mechanism.

New Delhi:India will invite Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan along with other leaders for the annual meeting of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization later this year. Speculations are rife about India's approach to Pakistan amidst the ongoing tensions regarding the Kashmir issue.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, former diplomat Achal Malhotra said that invitation to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is just a protocol invitation, extended to every member of the SCO and it should not be seen in a bilateral perspective.

"Pakistan happens to be a member of the SCO. This invitation should not be seen beyond this framework. He (Imran Khan) has been invited as a member of the SCO and not in bilateral capacity," Malhotra said.

"As of now, I do not see any departure in GoI's policy towards Pakistan. The policy remains that terror and talks cannot go together," he added.

"Unless there is a palpable and reasonable shift in Pakistan's policy of cross border terrorism directed against India, I don't think India has any intention to change its foreign policy," said the former envoy.

Without making any predictions that whether Pakistan is going to accept or refuse India's invite, he asserted that the SCO is a China-driven organisation.

"China is Pakistan's closest ally. Islamabad also has good relations with Russia. So, there is a probability that both countries would not like Pakistan to spoil the summit my not accepting the invitation," he opined.

Read: 'Bilateral relations at that time will decide Pak PM's visit to India'

Though the schedule of the summit hasn't been decided yet, it will be for the first time that India will be extending an invitation to Imran Khan since his commencement of office in 2018.

In the 2019 SCO summit in Bishkek, apart from a brief interaction, both leaders didn't hold any formal summit. India has snubbed Pakistan PM at various platforms as the tensions between both nations have soared.