EAM Jaishankar to Visit Pakistan for SCO Meeting After 9 Years

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will lead India’s delegation to Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad on October 15-16, 2024. This marks the first visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to Pakistan since Sushma Swaraj attended a conference in 2015. The visit is focused on the SCO’s regional cooperation agenda, with no bilateral meetings confirmed as of now, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Historical Context

 The last high-level visit by India to Pakistan was in December 2015, when then-EAM Sushma Swaraj attended the Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference. That visit led to the announcement of a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue between India and Pakistan. Later that month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Lahore, engaging in talks with then-PM Nawaz Sharif.

Current Diplomatic Climate

Jaishankar’s visit comes at a tense time, as Pakistan is experiencing widespread protests following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the Pulwama-Balakot incidents earlier that year. Although Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto visited India in May 2023 for an SCO Foreign Ministers meeting, no progress on bilateral ties has been made.

SCO’s Role

 Pakistan currently chairs the SCO’s Council of Heads of Government. Established in 2001, the SCO has grown into a major economic and security bloc, with India and Pakistan joining in 2017. The upcoming meeting in Islamabad aims to enhance regional cooperation, focusing on economic, financial, and humanitarian issues.