Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Pakistan this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Islamabad, taking place on October 15 and 16, 2024. This will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade, since Sushma Swaraj’s trip in 2015.
Jaishankar will lead an Indian delegation to the summit, which is focused on fostering regional cooperation, security, and economic partnerships. The event is significant because Pakistan currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), making it the host for this high-level meeting. Typically, the summit is attended by presidents and prime ministers from member countries.
This visit could mark a potential diplomatic moment for India and Pakistan, given the complex and often strained relationship between the two neighboring nations. Both countries are part of the SCO, a regional organization that promotes cooperation on political, economic, and security issues across Central and South Asia. The summit will provide a platform for member countries, including India and Pakistan, to discuss shared concerns and opportunities in these areas.
