S Jaishankar at SCO summit: The second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting is set to commence at Pakistan’s Jinnah Convention Centre, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcoming leaders from across the region. The event will begin with a group photograph, followed by opening remarks from Sharif, setting the tone for the following high-level discussions. The session is expected to see the signing of several key documents, after which Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, and SCO Secretary General, Zhang Ming, will address the media. Prime Minister Sharif will also host an official luncheon for the dignitaries.
The SCO meeting has drawn participation from top leaders and representatives of member states, including China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India. Notably, Iran’s First Vice President and Mongolia’s Prime Minister are in attendance, while Turkmenistan is represented by the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Foreign Minister, attending as a special guest.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the discussions are set to focus on enhancing regional economic cooperation, trade, terrorism, environmental challenges, and strengthening socio-cultural ties among the member states. These discussions are expected to result in significant decisions aimed at boosting collaboration within the SCO and finalising the organisation’s budget for the coming year.
India’s delegation is being led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, whose visit has garnered attention due to the historic context—this marks the first visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years. The last visit was by Sushma Swaraj in 2015 for the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference on Afghanistan. Jaishankar was part of that delegation in his capacity as foreign secretary. His arrival in Islamabad has reignited speculation about the potential for a thaw in the strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which have been locked in conflict over issues such as cross-border terrorism and the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite the presence of both Indian and Pakistani delegations, officials from both sides have ruled out any bilateral talks on the sidelines of the SCO summit. Pakistan has reiterated its role as the host, stating that while it cannot initiate such discussions, it would be open to talks if India showed interest. The focus of the summit remains on multilateral issues such as trade, connectivity, and climate change, reflecting the broader goals of the SCO.
As Islamabad prepares to host this crucial summit, the city remains under tight security, with protests from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party ongoing. While the political climate remains tense, Jaishankar’s visit, despite no plans for bilateral talks, is being viewed as a positive diplomatic step within the context of complex regional dynamics.