Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to lead Pak delegation to SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Goa

New Delhi: In a significant development, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is all set to visit India next month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting in Goa. This marks the first visit by any Pakistani leader to India after Nawaz Sharif in 2014.

The announcement was made by Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch during a weekly media briefing, where she stated that Mr Zardari would be leading the Pakistan delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on May 4-5, 2023, in Goa, India. She added that Pakistan's participation in the meeting reflects its commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance it accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities.

The SCO is a regional political and security bloc that includes Russia, China, India, and Pakistan. It was established over two decades ago with the aim of promoting economic, political, and military cooperation among its member nations. The upcoming foreign ministers' meeting will be held in Goa, which is a significant milestone for India, as it became a full member of the SCO on June 9, 2017. There are also four observer states and six dialogue partners in the organization.

However, the ties between India and Pakistan have been under severe strain in recent years, following the 2019 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama by Pakistan-backed terrorists and the surgical strikes by India on terrorist training camps in Pakistan's Balakot in response. The relations further deteriorated after India announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special powers and the bifurcation of the state into Union territories in August 2019.

Therefore, Mr Zardari's visit to India for the SCO meeting is being closely watched by political analysts and experts, as it could potentially be a significant step towards the normalization of relations between the two countries. It remains to be seen whether the two sides will use this opportunity to engage in bilateral talks and work towards resolving their long-standing disputes.

The visit has already generated a lot of interest and attention from both Indian and Pakistani media, with several news outlets covering the story extensively. This is a developing story, and more updates are expected to follow in the coming days.