Shanghai bloc membership 'good' for India, Pakistan ties

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-33439553

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Papers see India and Pakistan's bid for inclusion in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a "good sign" for relations between the neighbours.

The two countries at present have observer status in the SCO, but want to become permanent members.

The SCO group - including the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia and China - was formed in 2001 to curb extremism in the region and enhance border security.

It was widely viewed as a countermeasure to limit the influence of Western alliances such as Nato.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Russia for the SCO summit and a meeting of the leaders of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).

Indian media reports suggest that he is likely to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SCO summit on 9 and 10 July.

Papers feel India's inclusion in the SCO will open up "several opportunities" for the Asian giant.

The Times of India notes that India and Pakistan will for the "first time" become part of a security bloc.

However, some reports say that the two countries are likely to become permanent members in 2016 after detailed talks at the summit this year.

"And given Chinese influence over Pakistan, the forum can become an important contact point between New Delhi and Islamabad to sort out their differences," the paper adds.

The report further explains that it will be in China's economic interest to push for cooperation between India and Pakistan.

"This is also in Beijing's interest given its grand plans for the Silk Road Economic Belt project that seeks to build connectivity infrastructure linking China to Europe via Central Asia," the paper says.

The Telegraph says that Mr Modi and Mr Sharif will be forced to engage with each other if the two countries are together in the SCO.

The paper says it "sets up the prospect of the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers travelling to each other's countries in the same calendar year, forced by larger geopolitical compulsions".

Change in Palestine policy?

Meanwhile, papers see India's abstention in a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vote on Israel-Palestine conflict as a "change in policy".

The UNHRC voted in favour of adopting a report that accused both sides of possible war crimes in last year's Gaza conflict. But Israeli newspapers say that the report heavily criticises PM Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy during the war, but "ignores the rockets launched by Hamas".

India's ministry of external affairs said there was no change in its "long-standing position on support to the Palestinian cause".

It said the country abstained because of a "technical issue".

Most papers, however, do not agree with the government's explanation.

"India's stance in the UNHRC must count as a decisive shift from its time-honoured and well-established position on Palestine - notwithstanding the external affairs ministry's claims," The Hindu says.

The paper explains that "the real reason for this shift must be the burgeoning strategic relations between the two countries".

The daily, however, warns that the policy change "does not behove well for India's stature as a nation committed to a just international order".

The Deccan Herald also warns that the Indian government "must avoid diluting its long-standing commitment to the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state".

"New Delhi must convince them that its improving bilateral ties with Israel will not adversely impact the Palestinian cause," the paper says.

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