Diplomacy on Ice: No Formal Meetings at SCO between Pakistan and India

Pakistan clarified that no formal meeting occurred between Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conclave. The meeting was limited to casual conversations, and relations remain tense. Pakistan has renewed agreements for Indian pilgrim visits and seeks BRICS membership inclusion.

In a recent development, Pakistan's Foreign Office confirmed that no formal meeting took place between Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conclave last week.

Amid tense relations, the ministers engaged only in casual conversations, rejecting speculation of a diplomatic breakthrough. Pakistan continues to support Kashmiri interests and has renewed pilgrim visit agreements via the Kartarpur Corridor.

The nation has also applied for membership in BRICS, though it was not invited to the recent summit, as the bloc expands to include new members like Egypt and Iran.

(With inputs from agencies.)