Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed his virtual attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, chaired by India on July 4. This unexpected announcement comes after Pakistan received an official invitation from the Indian Prime Minister, adding an intriguing dynamic to the upcoming summit.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed his virtual attendance at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, which will be chaired by India on July 4. The announcement was made by a spokesperson at the Foreign Office during a briefing, where they revealed that Pakistan had received an official invitation from the Indian Prime Minister.
"We have received the official invitation from the Indian Prime Minister for our Prime Minister for the virtual meeting of Heads of State of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that is due to take place on July 4," stated the spokesperson, hinting at Pakistan's readiness to engage in the summit. However, they also mentioned that a formal announcement regarding Pakistan's participation would be made in the coming days, leaving room for anticipation and speculation.
The decision to hold the SCO meeting in a virtual format was clarified by the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman, Arindam Bagchi. He highlighted that due to the prevailing circumstances and the recent trend of hosting virtual events, it was decided to conduct the Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State virtually on July 4. This clarification from the ministry came shortly after they initially announced the virtual format for the annual SCO summit, according to The Tribune.