Pakistan to join as observer on last day of SCO RATS drills: India

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikar saying a few days back that their country will take part in SCO RATS drills in India, India has said Pakistan will come as an observer on the closing day of the event.

India is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Regional Anti Terrorism Structure (RATS) drills in Manesar, Haryana, sometime in October. India is chairing the SCO RATS this year. Pakistan is only coming as an observer for the meeting at the closing ceremony. We too did the same when the SCO RATS meet was held in Pakistan,’’ said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.

Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have been downgraded for some time. Just last week Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, during a meeting with Australia’s High Commissioner in Islamabad, had said he was hoping to have peace with India. India is very clear on its stand, that there will be peace only if Pakistan stops its cross-border insurgent activities.