INDIAN DELEGATION ARRIVES IN ISLAMABAD FOR SCO TALKS AMID BILATERAL TENSIONS

September 29, 2026

An Indian delegation led by senior diplomat Alok Dimri has arrived in Islamabad to participate in a three-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of National Coordinators, taking place from September 28 to 30, 2026. The meeting marks an official Indian engagement in Pakistan amid continuing tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

The national coordinators are scheduled to discuss the programme of activities under Pakistan’s 2026–27 chairmanship, preparations for upcoming SCO meetings and other matters concerning cooperation among member states. Pakistan has outlined priorities including regional connectivity, innovation, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges under its chairmanship theme, “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.”

India and Pakistan have both been members of the SCO since 2017. Despite strained bilateral relations, the two countries have continued to participate in the organisation’s multilateral meetings and activities. India’s participation in the Islamabad meeting is within this broader framework of regional cooperation and does not itself indicate a resumption of bilateral dialogue.

The meeting is also part of preparations for the SCO Council of Heads of State summit, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in Islamabad in August 2027. Whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the summit remains uncertain, with India maintaining that broader engagement with Pakistan depends on concrete action against cross-border terrorism.

The gathering highlights the SCO’s role as a multilateral platform where member states continue diplomatic coordination on regional issues, even as unresolved bilateral disputes persist.