India is likely to send a 3-member team to participate in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Pakistan next week, ToI has learnt. The Pabbi Anti-terror Exercise 2021 is being held at Pabbi in Pakistan’s Nowshera district from October 3 under the aegis of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) which seeks to promote counter-terrorism cooperation between SCO member-states.
The government believes its participation in the exercise, an SCO event, will not in any way dilute its position that Pakistan continues to promote cross-border terrorism. India’s presence though will be seen as a sign of the importance it attaches to the role of the Central Asia-focused regional bloc in security-related issues, especially in Afghanistan.
With Iran too joining the group, comprising Russia, India, China, Pakistan and 4 Central Asian countries as full members, SCO is likely to play a key role in the efforts for a political and diplomatic solution to the situation in Afghanistan. (Times of India)