External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Pakistan to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) scheduled to take place later this month.
The announcement was made by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal Friday, who also slammed Pakistan for giving a warm welcome to controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik but said "it is no surprise".
"We've seen reports that he [Zakir Naik] was warmly welcomed there (in Pakistan). It is not surprising for us that a fugitive from Indian law and justice has received a high-level welcome in Pakistan. It is something which is disappointing and condemnable, but it is not surprising," said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday.
Pakistan is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in mid-October.
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Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik Wednesday called on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who praised his lectures and said they are "insightful and impactful".
Naik arrived in Pakistan at the invitation of the government on a month-long visit during which he will deliver lectures in major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.
It is Naik’s first visit to Pakistan in three decades — the last time he visited was in 1992.
Zakir Naik is wanted in India for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches, left the country in 2016. He was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by the previous government led by Mahathir Mohamed.
In a post on microblogging platform X, Naik wrote that he interacted with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He also posted a picture of himself with Sharif.
"Islam is a religion of peace, and you are doing an important duty by spreading the true message of Islam among people," Sharif told Naik.
He said Naik's lectures are "highly insightful and impactful", and he has a significant following among young audiences, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, at an interactive session at the Indian Council of World Affairs in Delhi in August this year, indicated that his government may consider India's request to extradite controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik if it provides evidence against him.
