Pakistan has officially extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting. The high-level event is scheduled to take place on October 15-16 in Islamabad.
This invitation comes as Pakistan assumes the chairmanship of the CHG, which is recognized as the second-most significant decision-making body within the SCO framework. Despite the formal invitation, it remains highly improbable that Prime Minister Modi will travel to Islamabad, given the persistent tensions and strained relations between India and Pakistan. The Times of India has reported on the ongoing diplomatic challenges that may influence India’s response to this invitation.
Last year, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, represented the country at the CHG meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. While Prime Minister Modi has consistently participated in the SCO’s heads of state summits in previous years, he was notably absent from this year’s summit held in Kazakhstan due to the coinciding Parliament session. The SCO, co-led by Russia and China, plays a pivotal role in regional security and cooperation efforts, making the upcoming meeting in Islamabad a significant event on the international calendar.
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India remains vigilant
India, however, remains vigilant about China’s growing influence within the SCO, which has led to cautious participation in the organization’s activities. Both Indian and Pakistani delegations have taken part in various SCO exercises and meetings over the years, though high-profile visits between the two countries have been scarce. Recent escalations in tensions, particularly due to the surge in terrorist activities in Jammu, may further complicate India’s decision regarding the invitation from Pakistan.
The relationship between India and Pakistan continues to be fraught with challenges, especially following India’s revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019—a move that Pakistan has repeatedly opposed and sought to reverse. For India, the abrogation is a sovereign decision and non-negotiable, further entrenching the diplomatic rift between the two neighbors. The last instance of an Indian foreign minister visiting Pakistan was in 2015, underscoring the rarity of such high-level engagements between the two nations in recent years.
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