Pakistan weighing SCO meeting in New Delhi after India invitation: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering whether to attend an upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in New Delhi after receiving an invitation from India, with a final decision to be taken by the leadership following institutional consultations, the Foreign Office said on Friday.

Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said the meeting was scheduled to take place in the Indian capital from November 20 to 22 and that the invitation had been extended to all SCO member states.

“Pakistan has received the invitation which was extended by India to all the member states,” Khan told the media during his weekly media briefing.

He said Islamabad remained committed to engagement through regional and international platforms.

“Pakistan, being a responsible member of the comity of nations, believes in positive engagement on regional and global forums,” Khan said.

However, he said no decision had yet been taken on Pakistan’s participation.

“The decision to join the dialogue will be undertaken by the leadership after completion of the institutional deliberations and established protocols,” he added.

Khan also said “peace in the neighbourhood is Pakistan’s foremost priority” while responding to questions on Islamabad’s regional diplomatic efforts.

He said Pakistan had provided “all possible facilitation as a sincere mediator” and had brought two countries that had not spoken to each other for 47 years to the negotiating table.

“The successful signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries is evidence of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts,” he said, adding that Islamabad would continue working for regional peace and stability.

Makkah Alliance still being formalised

The spokesperson also addressed questions over the Makkah Alliance for Defense, saying any decision to expand the arrangement would be taken jointly by its three members.

“On expanding Makkah agreement, the three countries which are members of this alliance, they will mutually decide,” Khan said.

He said the alliance remained at an early institutional stage.

“In my personal understanding, it will take a little while because the organisation, the alliance, is still in the evolution stage and it is being formalised,” he said.

Khan added that the alliance’s secretary general would soon assume his responsibilities in Riyadh, after which further steps towards operationalisation would be undertaken.

“The Secretary General will soon be joining his post in Riyadh, and further operationalisation will be undertaken by the relevant competent bodies,” he said.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack against one of the three countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three.

Khan said Pakistan had made clear since the establishment of the arrangement that “it is not against any country”.

Earlier in the briefing, he referred to Pakistan’s condemnation of Houthi ballistic missile attacks targeting the Makkah and Madinah regions of Saudi Arabia on October 26, including areas near the Holy Sites.

Pakistan described the attacks as a “grave violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and a “blatant disregard for the sanctity of Islam’s holiest sites and civilian safety”.

Khan said Pakistan had reaffirmed its “unwavering solidarity with Saudi Arabia” and its commitment to the Makkah Alliance for Defense, including “the protection of the Two Holy Mosques against external aggression or threats”.

He also referred to an October 28 meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Lieutenant General Noman Mehmood, the first Secretary General of the Makkah Alliance for Defense.

According to Khan, Dar highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional and international peace and stability and underscored the role of the alliance in advancing lasting peace in the region.

Karachi-bound LNG vessel hit in Persian Gulf

The Foreign Office also confirmed reports that an LNG vessel carrying cargo destined for Karachi had been hit by projectiles while travelling through international waters in the Persian Gulf.

“We have seen the report of Al Maida vessel, which was registered in Marshall Islands, operated by QatarEnergy and carrying LNG destined for Karachi port, [which] was hit by projectiles on last Friday night,” Khan said.

He said the vessel was travelling eastbound through the Persian Gulf and was carrying 25 multinational crew members, including Pakistanis.

“Luckily, no one is harmed,” Khan said.

The incident caused a small fire aboard the vessel, but the crew remained safe and the ship subsequently returned to Qatar.

“The crew is unharmed, thankfully, and the vessel has returned safely to Qatar,” he said.

Khan added that “the concerned Pakistani authorities are coordinating with the relevant parties to establish further details of the incident”.

The incident comes amid continued disruption and security concerns around regional shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan backs peaceful solution on Iran

Responding to questions about Iran and its nuclear programme, Khan said the issue had remained under discussion since 2015 and reiterated Pakistan’s support for a peaceful settlement.

“Pakistan supports a peaceful resolution of this matter,” he said.

He added that Pakistan, Qatar and other countries remained actively involved in mediation efforts.

Earlier in the briefing, Khan said the R4 foreign ministers had welcomed ongoing diplomatic efforts, including the Islamabad MoU, and called for the safe and unimpeded resumption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The R4 ministers also condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab and reiterated support for a sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

They called for an immediate end to violence, unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza and early implementation of the two-state solution.

Later on October 23, the R4 ministers met their counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom to discuss the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Palestine, Yemen and maritime security.

“The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue, de-escalation, and negotiated solutions,” Khan said.

ECO meeting postponed over security situation

Khan also said a meeting of Economic Cooperation Organisation interior ministers, originally scheduled for October 29 and 30, had been postponed because of the regional security situation.

“Because of the geopolitical situation in our region — particularly, you must have seen in those days, a lot of air flights were also cancelled because of an imminent threat — and owing to the security situation in the overall region, it had to be postponed,” he said.

Fresh dates were being worked out but had not yet been finalised.

“As of now, we do not have an exact date that I can share with you,” Khan said.

The spokesperson also addressed questions relating to travel between Pakistan and India.

He said Pakistan had issued visas to around 300 Hindu pilgrims and was not opposed to granting visas to Indian nationals.

“We have not stopped visas for Indian citizens,” Khan said, adding that there were no restrictions on pilgrims travelling for religious visits.

Asked about reports that the chief minister of Indian Punjab wanted to visit Pakistan, Khan said permission for such a visit would have to be given by the Indian government.

He also said crossings were taking place at the Pakistan-Iran border, although the exact operational status of the border would have to be confirmed with the relevant authorities.