External affairs minister met Pakistan prime minister
Shehbaz Sharif
during an informal dinner hosted by the nation on Tuesday ahead of the
SCO meet
.
The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and shook hands before the attendees headed to attend the dinner.
This marks the first visit by India’s foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years, occurring amid ongoing tensions between the two neighbors over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan.
Earlier, Jaishankar shared several pictures of him interacting with the kids dressed in traditional attire as he landed in Islamabad.
“Landed in Islamabad to take part in SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting,” he said.
The two-day meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), the organization’s second-highest forum, will be led by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who currently serves as the council’s chair, according to the statement.
The last Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who attended the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad from December 8-9, 2015. Jaishankar, then serving as India’s foreign secretary, was part of her delegation.
Shortly after Swaraj’s trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise 150-minute visit to Lahore on his way back from Kabul.
The 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Islamabad, Pakistan, with heightened security measures in effect.
