Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s decision to visit India to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is also being criticized and some quarters say that he should have declined the visit under the prevailing circumstances.
But if the spirit of the SCO Charter is properly understood, the answer might be something else.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 and today has eight member countries, while six are dialogue partners and Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar are also close to becoming dialogue partners.
It is expected that this organization spread over three continents of the world will have a profound and far-reaching impact on the security, peace and development of the world.
According to Article I of the SCO Charter, the purpose of establishing this organization is to establish strong relations among the member countries, including the strengthening of mutual trust, friendship and good relations.
According to the Charter, good relations are based on the elimination of terrorism on the one hand, and on the other hand, one of its objectives is to promote effective regional cooperation through trade and economy. In this regard, without improving the relations between Pakistan and India, regional progress in important matters like trade and economy seems difficult.
It may not be wrong to hope that the platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will bring about some improvement in Pakistan-India relations, but some progress in this regard may not be possible immediately.
At this time, the bitterness between Pakistan and India is so extreme that on April 28, when the SCO Defense Ministers met in Delhi, the Indian Defense Minister had to say in the meeting regarding terrorism that if a nation shelters terrorists. If it gives, it must be pointed out.’
The very next day Indian newspapers such as Indian Express carried the headline ‘Pakistan, are you listening?’
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Similarly, when the Indian minister met his Chinese counterpart, the same newspaper reported that Minister Rajnath Singh had complained to the Chinese minister that Beijing’s violation of existing agreements had destroyed the basis of bilateral relations. Is.
These newspaper reports show that the two member countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization do indeed discuss their mutual relations on their own and collectively it can be raised from the SCO platform.
On the 4th of this month, when Bilawal Bhutto attends the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting, he will surely face indirect criticism from India.
But on the other hand, Bilawal Bhutto will also get an opportunity to explain Pakistan’s position. He can use this opportunity to say that Pakistan fully believes in regional cooperation. They can also effectively present their country’s stance against terrorism and say that peace in the region is not possible unless there is regional cooperation and dangerous violations of international law continue.
During the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and while talking to the Indian and international media, the Pakistani foreign minister will have golden opportunities to present Pakistan’s position and the Kashmiri case.
We can hope that Bilawal Bhutto will take full advantage of these opportunities in Goa as well.
Note: This article is based on the personal opinion of the columnist, Independent Urdu does not necessarily agree with it.