He is the first External Affairs Minister to visit the neighbouring country since 2015; Islamabad put
under lockdown following terror attacks last week and over fears of protests by Imran Khan’s party
The Pakistani capital will be in complete lockdown as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) arrive here on Tuesday to attend the Heads of Government meeting.
A 300-strong delegation led by Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Islamabad on Monday to conduct bilateral meetings, while Mr. Jaishankar is expected to arrive on Tuesday evening by a special plane, in time for a dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. While Mr. Jaishankar visited Pakistan as Foreign Secretary in 2015, this is his first visit as External Affairs Minister, and the first such visit to Pakistan in nine years.
On Wednesday, Mr. Jaishankar will attend the HoG meet to be held at the Jinnah Convention Centre, which will be hosted by Mr. Sharif, to be followed by a lunch also hosted by the Pakistani Prime Minister, giving the leaders a number of occasions to hold bilateral conversations and
pull-asides should they need to.
Both External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar have downplayed expectations of talks between them, stressing that this is a “multilateral” event. However, it is significant that Mr. Jaishankar has decided to come at all, given that India has attended other SCO events in Pakistan via videoconferencing.
Last month, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal attended the SCO Trade Minister’s meeting virtually. As India and Canada locked horns over the Nijjar case on Monday, expelling six diplomats each, speculation rose that Mr. Jaishankar may put off his visit. However, when asked by journalists in Delhi, he said that the Pakistan visit was “still 24 hours away” indicating that there had been no change in his plans. Mr. Jaishankar is expected to y back to Delhi on Wednesday after the conference and signing of SCO documents.
Mr. Li, who is in Pakistan on a state visit, was accorded a 21-gun salute on his arrival, after which he and Mr. Sharif held talks and virtually inaugurated the new Gwadar airport, gifted to Pakistan by China on Monday.
Apart from high-security levels accorded to the visitors, which include the Prime Ministers of Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Belarus as well as the Iranian First Vice President, parts of Islamabad’s “Blue” and all of its “Red” Zones have been sealed off to the public for the SCO meet, said officials, given fears of protests by the Opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In addition, terror attacks on Chinese engineers last week and the shooting of 21 miners in Balochistan have fuelled worries about the conference. More than 9,000 security personnel have been deployed, and armed police and paramilitary officials could be seen dotting all main streets and venues in the Pakistani capital.
At hotels where journalist delegations, including the Indian delegation, are staying, armed guards have been deployed on every door.