The government announced that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave in mid-October. The most recent Indian foreign minister to travel to Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj in December 2015, in order to participate in a conference on Afghanistan. This visit coincided with Pakistan hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15 and 16.
High-ranking officials stated that Jaishankar’s trip holds significance and mirrors when Pakistan’s former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Goa for an SCO conclave in 2023. A source mentioned that, currently, there are no planned bilateral discussions, but potential future meetings can’t be discounted. Ending terrorism is the sole solution for both nations to communicate and progress. If talks do happen, Kashmir will not be discussed.
Sending Jaishankar despite tensions with Pakistan demonstrates India’s dedication to the SCO, which is crucial for enhancing collaboration on regional security. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, made up of India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a powerful economic and security group that has become one of the biggest transregional international organizations. The meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government is the second most important gathering within the organization.