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Islamabad: Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar held informal talks on two occasions since Tuesday evening on the sidelines of the SCO summit. During one meeting, ways to improve India-Pakistan cricket relations were discussed. Diplomatic sources said that this conversation took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference, but there was no sign of any thaw in the frosty bilateral relations between the two countries. Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said that Jaishankar’s visit to Islamabad has thawed the relations.
Meanwhile, sources said that a separate meeting took place between Jaishankar and Dar at the dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for SCO delegates at his residence on Tuesday evening. They said that Pakistan’s Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi also attended the meeting and improving cricket relations was discussed in the brief conversation. Naqvi is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). It is learned that the Pakistani side requested India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament to be hosted by Pakistan in February next year.
Both the foreign ministers sat together and had their meals.
Sources said Jaishankar and Dar were seen sitting next to each other and talking at the official banquet after the SCO summit on Wednesday, which appears to be a positive sign. They declined to elaborate. A source said Jaishankar and Dar were arranged to sit together. “Neither we nor he requested for a bilateral meeting. But I believe his (Jaishankar’s) coming here is a step to thaw the ice in the relationship,” Tarar was quoted as saying in the media. A senior Pakistani official said there was an overall positive atmosphere around Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan. Before the summit, Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif shook hands with Jaishankar and warmly welcomed him and the leaders of other SCO member countries at the summit venue ‘Jinnah Convention Center’.
Jaishankar thanked Shahbaz and Dar before leaving Islamabad.
Pak PM Shahbaz Sharif and Jaishankar also shook hands and had a brief conversation during dinner yesterday. After this, before leaving Islamabad, Jaishankar thanked Prime Minister Sharif and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in a post on ‘X’. He also described the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO as ‘fruitful’. Jaishankar said, “I am leaving Islamabad. Thank you to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality.” Two officials, citing Foreign Minister Jaishankar’s post on ‘X’, said that his visit was good and it created a good atmosphere.
