In a significant diplomatic gesture, the Indian foreign minister
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
acknowledged Pakistan’s hospitality during his visit.
On Wednesday, on his departure from Islamabad ,
Indian Foreign Minister
thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and the government for the “hospitality and courtesies” during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit hosted by Islamabad.
Jaishankar, who attended the SCO moot held in Islamabad, was the first foreign minister of the neighbouring nation to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade.
Hours after the conclusion of the two-day regional huddle, Jaishankar wrote on his X handle:
“Departing from Islamabad. Thank PM @CMShehbaz , DPM & FM @MIshaqDar50 and the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality and courtesies.”
Reacting to his X post, FM Dar thanked his Indian counterpart Jaishankar for his “kind message and participation” in the 23rd meeting of the SCO-CHG meeting.
Indias Jaishankar hails Pakistans hospitality, courtesies during SCO summit
Pakistan was honoured to host SCO Member States in Islamabad,” he added.
Meanwhile, Geo News told that FM Dar and his Indian counterpart Jaishankar had a brief exchange during the lunch hosted for the leaders attending the SCO summit.
The sources, however, said the details of the discussions between the top officials cannot be revealed at this time.
Speaking about the Indian FM visit to Pakistan in nearly 10 years, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar termed it an “ice breaker”.
“Neither us nor them requested for a bilateral meeting… but I believe his arrival here is an ice breaker,” AFP quoted the information minister as saying.
“Yesterday, when all the leaders were being welcomed and there were handshakes, I think positive images were sent out globally.”
Indian FM Jaishankar and PM Shehbaz greeted each other with a handshake and sombre expressions at the start of an official dinner for the visiting leaders of the SCO bloc on Tuesday.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been particularly sour since 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the limited autonomy of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.