India sends senior diplomat to Islamabad for SCO summit planning

New Delhi has dispatched a senior External Affairs Ministry official to Islamabad to participate in planning discussions for an upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, signalling continued diplomatic engagement despite recent tensions between the two nations.

The visit represents the first official Indian delegation to Pakistan since Operation Indoor, underscoring the willingness of both countries to maintain institutional channels through multilateral frameworks even as bilateral relations remain strained.

The three-day preparatory meeting for the SCO gathering brings together officials from member states to coordinate logistics, agenda items, and procedural matters ahead of the full summit. The SCO, which includes India, Pakistan, China, Russia, and several Central Asian nations, has historically provided a diplomatic platform where New Delhi and Islamabad engage despite broader tensions.

The timing of the visit follows a recent exchange of accusations between Indian and Pakistani representatives at the United Nations, where both nations criticised each other's policies. The decision to proceed with the planned SCO engagement suggests both governments are compartmentalising bilateral disputes and prioritising their roles within the multilateral organisation.

Indian officials have long viewed the SCO as an important forum for regional cooperation on security, trade, and development issues, despite the persistent India-Pakistan rivalry that has characterised the subcontinent for decades.