Amid speculation of a possible breakthrough in Pakistan-India defence dialogue, the Foreign Office has firmly denied that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif will hold a meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh during the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China.
Clarifying media reports, the Foreign Office stated that no bilateral engagement is scheduled between the two South Asian rivals. The statement came as Asif arrived in China to represent Pakistan at the two-day summit, which began on Wednesday.
Turkish media had earlier reported the possibility of a first face-to-face meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries since their recent military standoff. While both ministers are attending the SCO meeting with their respective delegations, the Indian side is reported to be holding bilateral meetings with counterparts from China, Russia, and other SCO member states.
The summit agenda includes discussions on regional security, counter-terrorism cooperation, and military coordination among member nations.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Lt Gen Asim Malik also participated in the SCO’s Security Council Secretaries meeting in Beijing on Tuesday. During his engagements, Malik reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and security, stressing Islamabad’s role as a stabilising force in South Asia. He also held separate meetings with senior officials from SCO countries to deepen bilateral and defence ties.
The SCO event comes in the wake of a tense military confrontation between Pakistan and India earlier this year. The standoff, which began after the killing of 26 tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, led to cross-border strikes and intense aerial combat. India accused Pakistan of involvement in the incident, prompting retaliatory actions. Pakistan’s military responded with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, downing six Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafales, and numerous drones.
The 87-hour conflict concluded on May 10 following a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. Since then, both Islamabad and New Delhi have intensified their diplomatic efforts worldwide to present their respective narratives and maintain international support.
