DNA
ISLAMABAD: India is undermining the growing sense of unity, togetherness and trans-Eurasian bonding emerging within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). New Delhi is attempting to weaken the strengthening consensus on key global issues at the platform of SCO.
These views were expressed by Islamabad-based think-tank Eurasian Century Institute (ECI), in a statement issued to media on Friday.
“Modi government in India is leaving no stone unturned to stay relevant and useful for QUAD and so-called, obsolete G7”, said Irfan Shahzad Takalvi, founding president of ECI.
Indian posture at the recent SCO defense ministers’ moot held in China indicates that “India is not comfortable with rising clout, and more importantly consensus-building role of the China- and Russia-backed Eurasian grouping”, notes the think-tank.
Mr. Takalvi noted that it was clear since Pakistan and India became full members of SCO that their bilateral issues will ensue some frictions for SCO meetings and interactions. “However, it was rather astonishing that New Delhi would use such a high-level multilateral forum for furthering baseless, narrow-minded agenda” resultantly creating an atmosphere of negativity at this forum that is being watched globally.
ECI underlined that it was not for the first time that India tried to undermine the growing significance of SCO. in July 2023, India opted to hold the SCO Summit online – mainly to avoid hosting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz – while just two months later New Delhi hosted G20 Summit in the physical format.
“That was a design to undermine the spirit that SCO sought to promote”, stresses the think-tank dedicated to studying emerging developments in the Eurasian supercontinent.
However, SCO will keep growing in strength, consensus built and promoted at its platform would continue to encompass more issues, and that will continue to lead towards the goal of greater Eurasian togetherness – hopes the think-tank.
