Pakistan says no meeting planned between PM Shehbaz and Modi in China

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Friday that no meeting is scheduled between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their presence in China.

Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan addressed the weekly media briefing, where he outlined recent diplomatic engagements and clarified Pakistan’s position on regional issues.

He noted that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently visited Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. During his trip, Wang co-chaired the sixth round of the annual Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue and met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and military leaders.

Talks focused on CPEC Phase-II, trade, investment, bilateral cooperation, and regional security. Both countries reaffirmed what they described as an “all-weather tested friendship” and pledged to strengthen ties further.

China reiterated its stance on Jammu and Kashmir, while Pakistan renewed support for China’s core issues. Defense cooperation and cultural exchanges were also part of the discussions.

Khan said a Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral meeting was recently held in Kabul, where the three sides discussed political, economic, and security matters. Talks included extending CPEC to Afghanistan, border security, counterterrorism, and eliminating organized crime and drug trafficking.

He said that Dar visited the United Kingdom on August 17, where he met UK Minister for South Asia Lord Hamish Falconer. On August 18, Dar inaugurated two new services related to land records and passports.

The spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan’s ties with China are deep-rooted and “cannot be affected by any external factor.” He said counterterrorism cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing is long-standing and multi-dimensional.

On Afghanistan, Khan said terrorist safe havens and cross-border attacks remain a serious concern, an issue Pakistan has repeatedly raised with Kabul.

Commenting on India, he expressed concern over what he called an “alarming arms buildup,” warning that it threatens regional stability. “We are fully prepared to respond to any threat to our sovereignty,” he said.

Open to dialogue

Khan added that Pakistan remains open to comprehensive dialogue with India, including on terrorism, but cautioned that talks should not be one-point.

He reiterated that sports and politics should not be mixed and claimed Pakistan has evidence of India’s involvement in sponsoring terrorism.

The spokesperson also condemned the alleged harassment of Pakistani diplomats in India, saying Islamabad believes in respectful treatment of diplomatic staff.

On U.S. ties, Khan said there is no final confirmation yet on U.S. Secretary Rubio’s reported October visit to Pakistan. He said further details would be shared once finalized. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming trip to New York and related meetings will be announced later.

Khan welcomed Chinese investment in Pakistan’s mining and mineral resources, describing such cooperation as part of the country’s foreign policy priorities.