Bishkek, June 13: The ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyz Republic has failed to break ice between India and Pakistan. Sourness in relations came to fore as the heads of states of both the nations refrained from holding a brief interaction, or exchanging pleasantries with each other as mark of goodwill.
Contrary to the speculations of an informal short meeting between the two leaders, reports citing sources have claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not meet his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan. Modi, Jinping Meet on Sidelines of SCO Summit, 'Brief Discussion on Pakistan'.
Ahead of the summit, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had reiterated that Modi would not be meeting the Pakistani PM at the multilateral event.
Update by ANI:
Sources: There was no meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan. No exchange of pleasantries between the two leaders. #SCOSummit (file pics) pic.twitter.com/wMvoy19LgY
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2019
Ahead of Khan's arrival at Bishkek, Modi held delegation-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, followed by a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During his talks with Putin, the Indian PM raised the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
"There was a brief discussion on Pakistan. PM recalled that he has made efforts and these efforts have been derailed, that Pakistan needs to create atmosphere free of terror and at this stage we do not see this happening. We expect it to take concrete action," Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said. Imran Khan: 'Attempted Peace Talks Before Polls in India...But PM Narendra Modi's Party Was Building Anti-Pakistan Hysteria'
Details of PM Modi's Schedule of Bishkek Visit
Meanwhile, Khan while speaking to Russian news agency Sputnik, put the onus on the Narendra Modi-led regime in India for the suspension of talks between the two nations. He expressed hope that Modi would be using his "big mandate" to resolve major issues, including the Kashmir territorial dispute with Pakistan.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2019 10:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).