Pak likely to participate in India-led SCO NSA meeting

Pakistan has decided to participate in the upcoming National Security Advisor meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is being hosted by India, said a source, adding that the mode of participation is yet to be finalised. On March 29, India will host the meetings of SCO national security advisers (NSA) and top national security officials in New Delhi. The SCO consists of eight member states — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with several others as inviting or dialogue countries. NSA Ajit Doval is likely to make opening remarks before the SCO NSAs level meeting will begin on Wednesday. Sources said the Pakistan representatives will also participate in the meeting. Earlier, Pakistan also participated in the Meeting of Heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Administrations held in ‘Kashi’ (Varanasi). G Kishan Reddy, Union minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, chaired the SCO Meeting. The action plan for ‘Year of Tourism Development in the SCO Space in 2023’ was also adopted at the meeting. Earlier, Tribune reported that Pakistan has begun in-house consultations to decide whether to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meetings of the defence and foreign ministers in India since New Delhi has already extended invitations to Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.