Shanghai Cooperation Organisation membership behind restart of Indo-Pak talks

NEW DELHI: The membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), after years of lobbying, is understood to have been one of the key deciding factors behind the rapprochement between India and Pakistan that was set in motion on the sidelines of grouping’s summit at the Russian city of Ufa.

India and Pakistan — hitherto SCO observers — would become full members of the grouping and the process was launched at the Ufa Summit on July 10. Diplomatic sources indicated that global powers and key founding members of SCO — Russia and China — had suggested that both Delhi and Islamabad should seek normalisation of ties for the success of the regional grouping. Russia as a host of the current SCO Summit was particularly keen that the grouping attains coherence in future.

While the USA has been keen that the South Asian neighbours tone down their rhetoric and move towards peace, particularly amid the recent war of words, it is understood that both Delhi and Islamabad decided to bury their hatchet and begin a limited engagement eyeing SCO membership.

India wants to leverage its membership in SCO to expand ties with Central Asia and maintain its interests in Afghanistan. It is understood that Modi himself took the final call in seeking rapprochement with Islamabad.

Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif, despite strong opposition at home, decided to reciprocate Modi’s gesture for engagement with an eye on playing a larger role in the region, sources indicated. Sharif ’s plan though may run aground due to hardline elements in his country, both within the government and outside.

SCO founding members, particularly Russia and China, felt that tensions between India and Pakistan would not allow smooth functioning of the grouping as two countries might bring up their bilateral issues at the forum.