In his brief comments after landing in Goa on his first-ever India visit, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed hope that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting will be a "success".
"I am happy that I have reached here in Goa to attend the SCO meeting. I hope that the SCO CFM will be a success," he said.
Ahead of his departure from Karachi, the foreign minister took to social media to share that Pakistan's participation in the SCO moot — scheduled for May 4-5 — was proof that the country takes its membership in the organisation "seriously".
"On my way to Goa, India. Will be leading the Pakistan delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization CFM. My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO.
"During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries," Bilawal wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, sources in the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said that the Indian civil aviation authorities contacted the aviation authority and finalised the route for the special plane.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi — the foreign minister in Imran Khan-led government — was of the view that there was “nothing wrong” with Bilawal visiting India.
"Pakistan is a member of SCO which is an important forum," Qureshi said, speaking to media, outside the Islamabad High Court.
He said that Pakistan should use this forum for regional development.
On the other hand, taking exception to the foreign minister’s visit, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhary took to Twitter to “strongly condemn” the development, asserting that instead of going to India, the FO should have opted to participate in the meeting via video link.
“Strongly condemn FM visit of Goa, participation would have been possible on video but the problem is you people, in love of Modi, are ready to disregard atrocities committed by Modi Janta in Kashmir and hardships Muslims of India and minorities to make Modi Janta happy. Pak Foreign policy is dead by all definitions of the word,” the PTI leader tweeted.
Ahead of his visit, the foreign minister took into confidence heads of multiple political parties — including coalition partners and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief — via telephonic conversations.
The foreign minister telephoned Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq and National Party (NP) leader Tahir Bizenjo.
He consulted with them over his two-day Goa visit.
”Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan's commitment to the SCO charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” the FO spokesperson had said previously.
In addition to deliberating upon important regional and international issues and signing some of the institutional documents, the council will finalise the agenda and decisions to be adopted by the 17th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting.
The meeting will also witness the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with five countries namely Bahrain, Kuwait Maldives, Myanmar and UAE to become Dialogue Partners of SCO.
Besides Pakistan, SCO member states include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and India.
On the sidelines of the SCO, FM Bilawal will also meet his counterparts from friendly countries.
Last week, FM Bilawal dismissed speculations surrounding his India visit and clarified that it should not be "misconstrued in terms of bilateral ties" between the two neighbouring countries.
Bilawal, while speaking to Geo News, said that he did not make any request for arranging a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reiterating Pakistan's commitment to the organisation, Bilawal had said that they cannot let India further isolate Pakistan.
This is the first visit to India by a top Pakistani official since then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif attended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in in 2014.
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