NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to invite PM Imran Khan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation heads of government meeting in New Delhi, according to Indian media.

“India will be hosting the heads of government summit later this year,” said its foreign ministry spokesperson while addressing a press conference on Thursday, reported NDTV.

“India will be hosting the heads of government summit later this year (in October 2020). As per established practice and procedure within SCO, all the eight members, as well as four observer states and other international dialogue partners, will be invited,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday.

The SCO is a China-led economic and security bloc to which India and Pakistan were admitted in 2017. India is hosting the SCO summit for the first time.

The media reports said that as per protocol all heads of government would be invited for the event. As per practice, the prime ministers of India and Pakistan and presidents of Russia, China and other countries attend the ‘Heads of State’ meeting.

This would be the first high-level meeting of the SCO that would be organised here since India’s admission to the eight-member grouping. India would be writing the letter of invitation addressed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan since he is the head of government.—NNI