ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed on Friday that no meeting between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, is planned during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in China later this month.
The SCO summit will take place in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1. Both leaders are expected to attend alongside other regional heads, but the possibility of a Sharif-Modi meeting has been dismissed by Islamabad.
“There is no meeting in the works between the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad.
No Diplomatic Breakthrough Expected
Relations between Pakistan and India have remained tense after a brief but intense military standoff earlier this year. The two nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged artillery, missiles, and drones in a four-day conflict that ended on May 10 following a US-brokered ceasefire.
Pakistan has since reiterated its willingness to hold a composite dialogue with India on all outstanding issues. However, New Delhi has ruled out any diplomatic engagement under current conditions.
Despite this, Pakistan says it remains open to third-party mediation to ensure regional security and stability. “We have always welcomed efforts that promote peace and dialogue,” the spokesperson added.
China’s Role and Regional Context
China will host the SCO summit for the fifth time, reaffirming its influence in regional diplomacy. Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited both Islamabad and New Delhi, urging cooperation amid growing tensions in South Asia.
Beijing has longstanding strategic ties with Pakistan, while its relationship with India remains strained due to recurring border disputes. The visit comes as Washington imposes heavy tariffs on Indian exports, signaling friction in US-India relations.
“After two recent summer conflicts—Indian aggression against Pakistan and Israel’s attack on Iran—South Asia has become a top priority for China,” said Mushahid Hussain, former federal minister and founding chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute. He noted that Wang Yi termed Pakistan “the most important” country among his recent visits to India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
While the SCO summit provides a multilateral platform, the absence of a Sharif-Modi meeting highlights the deep mistrust between the two neighbors, making any immediate breakthrough unlikely.
