An Indian delegation, headed by Alok Dimri from the Ministry of External Affairs, attended a preparation meeting for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad, Pakistan. This visit marks the first official trip by an Indian team to Pakistan since Operation Sindur last year.
### SCO Summit Preparations
The three-day meeting of SCO national coordinators started on September 29 in Islamabad. Dimri’s presence indicated a higher level of Indian participation compared to previous gatherings held under Pakistan’s leadership this year.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the country will host the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in August 2027. The theme for Pakistan’s chairmanship will focus on turning vision into action, with an emphasis on connectivity, innovation, and shared prosperity.
In mid-September, a meeting of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure took place in Islamabad, where India was represented by Chargé d’Affaires Satypal Pandey. However, there was no separate Indian delegation present at that meeting.
### India’s Stance
Indian officials made it clear that the coordinators’ meeting was part of a multilateral process and should not be seen as significant for India-Pakistan relations. Nevertheless, analysts believe that India’s participation opens the door for a higher level of Indian representation at future ministerial meetings and the heads of state summit, to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited.
Although the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not confirmed whether Modi will visit Pakistan next year, they have not completely ruled out the possibility. In 2023, Modi attended the SCO summit virtually, while next year, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is expected to participate in the SCO meeting of heads of government in Islamabad.
This meeting in Pakistan comes shortly after India and Pakistan exchanged accusations concerning terrorism and the Kashmir issue during the UN General Assembly.
