Pakistan expected to raise cross-border terrorism issue at SCO summit next week

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will raise the issue of backing of cross-border terrorism by Afghan Taliban regime and India with like-minded member countries, in an informal manner, in the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be held in Moscow early next week. 

Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar has been designated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to represent Pakistan in the meeting. The prime minister was invited to the meeting. Highly-placed diplomatic sources told The News here Thursday that the meeting would concentrate on economic cooperation among the member states but eradication of terrorism and drug trade would also figure in discussions. The two-day conference would commence on Monday (November 17). The regional inter-governmental organisation of 10-member states would be focusing on political, economic, security and counter-terrorism cooperation. The sources said that mutual disputes are not raised in the forum but Pakistan will take up terrorism being perpetrated by India and Afghanistan against Pakistan as a regional issue. The SCO also contains the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). The sources pointed out that Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar would have important meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the summit. The Russian prime minister will chair the 24th Meeting of the council. Senator Ishaq Dar who would dash to Brussels for high echelon talks with Belgian and European Union (EU) leaders from Moscow is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a group in Kremlin. The sources pointed out that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also invited but he has designated Indian Minister for External Affairs Dr. J. Shankar to represent New Delhi.