In a significant development, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Pakistan later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting. This marks the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister to Pakistan in nine years, with the last visit being made by Sushma Swaraj in 2015).
The two-day SCO summit, scheduled for October 15 and 16 in Islamabad, will see Jaishankar leading an Indian delegation. Pakistan had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August, but the decision to send Jaishankar reflects India’s commitment to the SCO, despite strained relations between the two nations.
India-Pakistan relations have been tense since the Pulwama terrorist attack in February 2019 and the subsequent Balakot air strikes. Pakistan’s opposition to India’s removal of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, further strained ties. India has consistently maintained that the issue is an internal matter.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Jaishankar warned Pakistan that its policy of cross-border terrorism would never succeed and highlighted its economic crisis. “Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan,” he stated.
The SCO, founded in 2001, comprises China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India, which became a permanent member in 2017. India chaired the organisation in 2023 and hosted the SCO summit in virtual format.
Jaishankar’s attendance at the SCO Council of Heads of Government conclave, the second-highest platform in the grouping, underscores India’s dedication to regional security cooperation.
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