'Visit should not be...': Pakistan FM Bilawal Bhutto on attending SCO meet in India
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
A day after it was announced that Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be visiting Indian to participate in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council, he has said the visit should not be seen in terms of bilateral ties.
"We are committed to the SCO charter and this visit should not be seen as a bilateral one but in the context of the SCO," the minister said.
Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch on Thursday informed that Zardari would be attending the meeting, scheduled to be held on May 4-5 in the southwestern Indian state of Goa.
"Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be leading the Pakistan delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on May 4-5, 2023, in Goa, India," said Baloch.
ALSO READ | Pak FM Bilawal Bhutto to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in India
)
'Can't rip open my chest but...': On Day 11 of student protest, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren breaks silence
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why are iPhones so expensive compared to Android phones?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Who is Sujatha Vijayakumar? The producer defending daughter Aarti in Ravi Mohan divorce battle
)
Who is Devendra Nath Mahto, Jharkhand’s 'Sonam Wangchuk' fasting for protesting students?
)
Trump goes 'bing bing bing' 11 times within 5 seconds at Iran war briefing
)
Munir-protege Mohsin Naqvi’s claim of unearthing huge scam triggers tremors in Pakistan’s power corridors
)
Ghajini villain Pradeep Rawat passes away at 74 after battle with cancer
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 bowlers in latest ICC ODI rankings 2026 - check who sits at the top
)
Punjab Assembly passes resolution against Centre's mandatory E20 petrol rollout
)
Scientists find descendants of ancient sea creatures trapped under Antarctica's Blood Falls
)
Why did India turn down the US offer for F-35 fighter jets? EXPLAINED
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Can an S-400 detect a bird?
)
Indian vessel sinks after Red Sea attack off Yemen; all crew rescued
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
7 longest flights in the world - Singapore, Qantas, Qatar and others
)
'Should not be bullied': CJP says movement will expand beyond protests. Politics, or something bigger?
)
'I was almost trafficked in Paris,' says Australian woman, shares terrifying ordeal - 'I am on the black market'
)
Influencer killed on livestream: Mexican cartel boss' son asked dad to kill woman who broke up with him
)
'World's most beautiful village' with only 627 people generated Rs 58 lakh in traffic fines in 2025
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
'Words had single meaning': Udhayanidhi Stalin denies 'double meaning' remark on actress Trisha, claims he was 'treated like terrorist'
)
Another assassination attempt? Armed man arrested at Trump's golf course ahead of presidential visit to LA
)
'I believe in freedom of expression...': Shashi Tharoor clarifies on attending event where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will address Gen Zs
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian tanks are much lighter compared to US tanks
)
WMO warns Super El Niño is set to become monstrous between Aug-Oct - This was 'only a warm-up act'
)
WI vs PAK, 2nd Test: Spinner Sajid Khan helps Pakistan turn screw for series-levelling win against hosts
)
Did military GPS jamming cause a plane to crash in New Mexico? Here's what a report says
)
‘India’s FCRA bill an attack on Christians, could hit bilateral ties,’ says US lawmaker
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (August 3-9, 2026): Main Vaapas Aaunga, Uyir, Operation Safed Sagar- 6 titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
What’s happening in Nepal? How did a local clash turn into communal violence? WION Decodes
)
Why did FSSAI ban the sale of Old Monk, Antiquity Blue and other liquor brands?
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
Baloch said the foreign minister would be attending the SCO CFM meeting at the invitation of the current chairman of SCO CFM, India's Minister for External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
"Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan's commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities."
Notably, this will be the first time that a Pakistan foreign minister will be visiting India since Hina Rabbani Khar in 2011. Moreover, after former PM Nawaz Sharif's visit in 2014 for PM Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony, this will be the first high-level visit from a Pakistani leader.
WATCH |Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to attend SCO meeting in Goa, India
Questions raised over Zardari's visit
However, ever since Zardari's visit was announced, a section of Indian politicians have criticised the Modi government for giving a platform to Pakistan - a known terror exporter to India.
On the same day as the announcement, terrorists attacked an Indian Army vehicle in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing five soldiers while critically injuring one.
Reports have claimed that the terrorists may have crossed over from the Pakistan side and could be belonging to the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taibya (LeT). A major operation has been launched by the authorities to nab the perpetrators.
Notably, India took over the chairmanship of the SCO mega grouping last year after the Samarkand edition. This year's summit will be holding key ministerial meetings but the presence of Zardari is expected to ratchet up a few uncomfortable questions to New Delhi.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: