There is no confirmation of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, though both will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, officials in Delhi and Islamabad said on Tuesday. Speculation has been rising of a possible meeting after Mr Modi called Mr Sharif to wish him at the beginning of Ramzaan earlier this month.
Both Prime Ministers will be in the Russian city of Ufa from July 8-10 to attend the SCO summit that includes Russia, China and the central Asian states as members, while India, Pakistan and Iran have observer status. Mr Modi will also attend the BRICS summit at the same time.
The SCO process for elevating the observer states to members is likely to get under way during this summit, which would explain the Prime Minister’s high-level participation in Ufa.
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However, given India’s unhappiness with the Pakistan government over the release of Zaki-Ur Rahman Lakhvi, sources said it was not “likely” that Mr. Modi and Mr. Sharif would have more than a courtesy meeting in Ufa.