An Indian delegation touched down in Islamabad on Monday, September 28, 2026, to take part in a three-day session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Council of National Coordinators, marking a rare moment of engagement between the two neighbours on multilateral ground. The delegation is being led by Joint Secretary Alok Dimri, who serves as India's National Coordinator for the SCO.
According to ABP Live, the visit is the first time since 2024 that an Indian delegation has travelled to Pakistan, underscoring how infrequent such cross-border movement remains even within multilateral frameworks. The meeting, which runs from September 28 to 30, is the first major engagement under Pakistan's 2026–27 chairmanship of the SCO, a role it assumed from Kyrgyzstan on September 1, 2026.
Pakistan is conducting the proceedings under the theme "Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity". The core business of the gathering is administrative but consequential: delegates will finalise and approve the calendar of events, ministerial dialogues, working group sessions and military exercises planned for the coming year under the rotating presidency.
The real significance of the coordinators' meet lies in what comes after it. Its outcomes will feed into the SCO Council of Heads of State summit, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in August 2027. News18 reported that Pakistan's Foreign Office has indicated invitations will be dispatched to the leaders of all member states, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ABP Live separately noted that Pakistan had earlier said it would invite Modi to the summit, though there is no indication yet of what India's response will be.
The visit fits a longstanding pattern rather than a diplomatic breakthrough. India and Pakistan have both been full SCO members since 2017, and New Delhi has routinely sent delegations to Pakistan for bloc events. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad in October 2024 for the SCO Council of Heads of Government summit — the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years. An Indian delegation also attended the 12th SCO meeting of heads of border services in Islamabad in July 2026, and Indian officials regularly participate in SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure drills and expert-level working groups. The bloc itself was founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai and today counts 10 permanent member states, including India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus.
Sources:
ABP Live: Indian Delegation Reaches Pakistan For Key SCO Meeting
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News18: India At SCO Meet In Pakistan's Islamabad Today: What Is The Agenda
According to ABP Live, the visit is the first time since 2024 that an Indian delegation has travelled to Pakistan, underscoring how infrequent such cross-border movement remains even within multilateral frameworks. The meeting, which runs from September 28 to 30, is the first major engagement under Pakistan's 2026–27 chairmanship of the SCO, a role it assumed from Kyrgyzstan on September 1, 2026.
Pakistan is conducting the proceedings under the theme "Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity". The core business of the gathering is administrative but consequential: delegates will finalise and approve the calendar of events, ministerial dialogues, working group sessions and military exercises planned for the coming year under the rotating presidency.
The real significance of the coordinators' meet lies in what comes after it. Its outcomes will feed into the SCO Council of Heads of State summit, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in August 2027. News18 reported that Pakistan's Foreign Office has indicated invitations will be dispatched to the leaders of all member states, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ABP Live separately noted that Pakistan had earlier said it would invite Modi to the summit, though there is no indication yet of what India's response will be.
The visit fits a longstanding pattern rather than a diplomatic breakthrough. India and Pakistan have both been full SCO members since 2017, and New Delhi has routinely sent delegations to Pakistan for bloc events. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad in October 2024 for the SCO Council of Heads of Government summit — the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years. An Indian delegation also attended the 12th SCO meeting of heads of border services in Islamabad in July 2026, and Indian officials regularly participate in SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure drills and expert-level working groups. The bloc itself was founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai and today counts 10 permanent member states, including India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus.
Sources:
ABP Live: Indian Delegation Reaches Pakistan For Key SCO Meeting
Indian Delegation Reaches Pakistan For Key SCO Meeting. All You Need To Know
India’s SCO National Coordinator Alok Dimri is participating in the meeting. Notably, this is the first time since 2024 that an Indian delegation has travelled to Pakistan.
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