Pakistan did not attend a meeting of military medical professionals organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Tuesday because the Indian side objected to the use of maps that wrongly depicted the country’s borders, particularly in Kashmir.

The matter was raised by the Indian side, including the external affairs ministry, as Pakistani officials used similar maps at an earlier SCO meeting, people familiar with the matter said. India is hosting a series of official and ministerial meetings ahead of the SCO Summit that is expected to be held in July.

The Pakistani side was reportedly using maps that depicted Kashmir as part of the neighbouring nation, an issue that has plagued SCO meetings in recent years.

Pakistan was to join the think tank conference with the topic “SCO Armed Forces Contribution in Military Medical, Healthcare, and Pandemics” on an official level. The report cited a source stating the Pakistani side did not participate when the Indian side objected.

The symposium was held at a hotel in New Delhi by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA).

“At an event in the run-up to Tuesday’s seminar, the Pakistani delegation used a wrong map that showed Kashmir as part of Pakistan. After the matter came to the external affairs ministry’s notice, the Pakistani side was asked to show the correct map or to stay away from the seminar. The delegation chose to stay away,” said another person.

The seminar’s goal was to share best practises in military medical, healthcare, and pandemic preparedness. The topic was chosen based on the efforts made by various armed services in combating Covid-19 over the last two and a half years by supplying isolation units, emergency healthcare equipment, and aiding in vaccination programmes in isolated places.

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