NEW DELHI: Pakistan announced on Saturday that it will participate in the inaugural Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from November 20 to 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the dialogue at the SCO summit in Tianjin in 2025.The last visit by a Pakistani minister to India was in May 2023, when then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari travelled to Goa to attend a meeting of SCO foreign ministers. This will also be the first ministerial visit between the two countries since the Pahalgam terror attack last year.Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Musadik Masood Malik, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, will lead the country’s delegation to the dialogue.India had invited culture minister Aurangzeb Khichi for the event. Musadik Masood Malik, federal minister for climate change and environmental coordination, will lead the team. He however, is considered a more experienced minister in the Pakistan govt. "The event will bring together representatives from SCO member states to exchange views on issues related to civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding," said…
First since Op Sindoor: Pak to send minister for Delhi SCO event
In short
Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadik Masood Malik will lead Pakistan's delegation to the inaugural Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Civilisational Dialogue scheduled for November 20 to 22. India originally invited Pakistan's culture minister, but Islamabad designated Malik due to his status as a more experienced official. The event, proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Tianjin summit, focuses on cultural understanding and people-to-people ties. Bilateral friction persists despite the trip, making Modi's attendance at next year's heads of state summit in Pakistan unlikely.
Key points
- Multilateral bloc obligations allow India and Pakistan to maintain periodic high-level di…: Multilateral bloc obligations allow India and Pakistan to maintain periodic high-level diplomatic contact despite absent bilateral talks.
- Islamabad opted to send an experienced climate minister rather than the initially invited…: Islamabad opted to send an experienced climate minister rather than the initially invited culture minister to the regional conference.
- India's policy linking diplomatic engagement to counter-terrorism makes Prime Minister Mo…: India's policy linking diplomatic engagement to counter-terrorism makes Prime Minister Modi's participation in Pakistan's upcoming summit unlikely.