 "After Jaishankar's Islamabad visit, will India-Pakistan PMs 'break ice' too next month?")
After Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan to attend the SCO Summit, there is speculation whether a meeting between the premiers of two nations is also on the cars.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif are both expected to attend the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan’s Baku on November 11-22. Following the apparently positive exchanges between Jaishankar and Paksitani leaders, it remains to be seen if a Modi-Shehbaz meeting is also on the cards.
There are reports that Jaishankar had positive exchanges with Shezbaz and Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar.
Jaishankar and Dar spoke twice within 24 hours and there were discussions between the two over resuming bilateral cricket relationship, according to The Indian Express.
Sources told The Express that these conversations on the sidelines of the SCO Summit were very preliminary and “need to be thought through” on both sides as the bilateral relationship has been in deep freeze for years.
Even as the discussions are very preliminary, the newspaper added that the talks do open a window.
The first step for the resumption of cricket ties could be India’s participation in the Champions Trophy being hosted by Pakistan in February 2025. As India has not played in Pakistan for more than a decade over poor relations and security risks, it is still not certain if India would participate in the tournament — even though participation in such top tournaments is a norm.
Impact Shorts
View AllIndia and Pakistan have previously used cricket as part of the broader outreach. Former Pakistani President General Parvez Musharraff
Jaishankar and Dar met on Tuesday evening at the dinner hosted by Shehbaz for leaders attending the SCO Summit. Sources told the newspaper that after exchanging pleasantries and shaking hands, the two held a conversation that they resumed the next day at lunch after the conclusion of the SCO plenary session.
Even though it has been said by some quarters that Jaishankar’s exchanges may be followed by exchanges at the prime ministerial-level, observers have said that the recent trajectory of relations makes it highly unlikely. Sharat Sabharwal, a former Indian envoy to Pakistan, told The Wire that the atmospherics ahead of Jaishankar’s visit had not indicated any easing of tensions
“The juncture is not conducive for any major bilateral development because Pakistan is so engrossed internally, and then Sharif [made] cutting remarks at the UNGA. After that, the minister [Jaishankar] responded. This is not what you do if, in 15 to 20 days, you are planning to have something big or significant,” said Sabharwal.
Sabharwal further said that the space for diplomacy has shrunk in India over continuing support for terrorism in Pakistan.
“On our side, the space for diplomacy has shrunk. The government’s core constituency may be driving this, this is political posturing as well as maintaining the narrative of terror and talks … So that narrows the options,” said Sabharwal.
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