India sent senior diplomat Alok Amitabh Dimri to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of National Coordinators meeting from September 28 to 30. The visit was significant as it was the first visit by an Indian official delegation to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Here are seven key takeaways from the visit:
India’s participation was part of its SCO commitment
After assuming the SCO presidency at the Bishkek summit (August 31–September 1), Pakistan hosted the group’s meetings, in which India was expected to participate as a member state.
India sent Alok Dimri, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service officer and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is also India’s National SCO Coordinator and has previously served as ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. His earlier assignments include handling the G20 and BRICS, as well as postings in China, Mongolia and New York, according to The Indian Express.
The visit was the first such trip by an Indian official delegation since External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in October 2024.
India is maintaining engagement despite strained ties
India and Pakistan have had limited direct political and diplomatic engagement since the 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack. The two countries also went through a four-day military confrontation in May that year. Regardless this, India has continued to participate in multilateral forums where Pakistan is also a member.
The Indian Express reported that India’s participation in the SCO is a pragmatic step that allows New Delhi to remain involved in discussions and developments taking place within the grouping. An Indian official cited by the newspaper said that being present at the table was important so that India could remain aware of developments within the organisation.
India will closely watch Pakistan’s SCO presidency
Pakistan will hold the SCO presidency for the coming year, with a programme of meetings and activities leading up to the SCO summit in Islamabad.
India is expected to watch how Pakistan conducts its activities under the presidency. This includes monitoring whether SCO meetings are held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and whether maps or other official material show disputed Indian territories as part of Pakistan or China.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office, meanwhile, described Dimri’s participation as a welcome step and said the visit could provide an opening for further engagement, while stressing that it was part of the SCO’s established multilateral framework rather than a bilateral visit.
Dimri’s remarks focused on connectivity and cooperation
Speaking to Pakistan Television, Dimri said this was his first visit to Pakistan and expressed interest in visiting Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot.
He focused on connectivity, trade and transit as important issues discussed at the SCO meeting. He also said the organisation provides a platform for countries across the Eurasian and Asian landmass to work on issues related to prosperity, development and welfare.
The three-day meeting of national coordinators concluded on September 30. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the coordinators agreed on a list of activities to be carried out over the next year.
Dimri also welcomed the decision to add English as an official and working language of the SCO alongside Russian and Chinese. This will be implemented for the first time during the meetings in Pakistan.
The visit could matter for a possible Modi trip
Pakistan is expected to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the SCO leaders’ summit in Pakistan next year. The dates of the summit have not yet been announced.
Whether Modi attends would be a political decision. He has not travelled to Pakistan since 2016, while India boycotted the SAARC summit that Pakistan hosted.
The meetings taking place under Pakistan’s SCO presidency could give India an opportunity to assess the circumstances surrounding any possible future visit.
The US and China are important factors for India
The international situation is another factor behind India’s approach to engagement with Pakistan. The Indian Express reported that the Russia-Ukraine and US-Iran wars have occupied significant international attention. It also noted the importance of the United States’ relationship with Pakistan and the role of China, which has close ties with Islamabad.
India has had to engage with both Pakistan and China through multilateral platforms despite differences with both countries. Prime Minister Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin, while Xi visited India for the BRICS summit in September.
Multilateral engagement keeps a channel open
India and Pakistan have continued to participate in SCO meetings despite the freeze in their broader bilateral relationship. Dimri also referred to the Civilisation Dialogue Forum proposed by Prime Minister Modi. SCO leaders agreed at the previous summit in Bishkek that such a forum should be held among member states, with India scheduled to host its first edition on November 20.
Lahore has also been designated the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, with cultural activities planned during Pakistan’s year as chair.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office described Dimri’s visit as fruitful and said Indian participation was expected to continue during the year. For India, the SCO therefore remains a channel for multilateral engagement with Pakistan and other member states even while direct bilateral political engagement remains limited.