India invites Pakistan minister to SCO Summit:Bilawal Bhutto visited Goa in 2023; event from 20-22 November, PM Modi to inaugurate

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit will be held in Delhi from 20 to 22 November. According to sources cited by The Hindu, India has also invited Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, to attend. If he visits India, it will be the first visit by a Pakistani minister to the country since 2023. In 2023, Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto visited Goa for the SCO. Pakistan has not yet decided who will lead its delegation at the summit. The meeting is a cultural event being organised to promote the countries’ ancient cultures and mutual brotherhood. The event will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate it. Leaders from 10 countries, including Russia and China, will attend the event. Event to be held at Purana Qila The event will be held at Purana Qila in Delhi. Officials said the venue was chosen because of its significance linked to India’s ancient past. In 2023, Pakistan’s then foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto, came to Goa to attend the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting. Prime Minister Modi proposed the meeting at the SCO leaders’ summit in Tianjin last year. The SCO Council later approved it. Pakistan may host it next year The meeting was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to mark 25 years of the SCO. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended it. Following the summit, Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship has ended. Pakistan is expected to be handed the chairmanship for 2026-27. Pakistan holds SCO presidency for 2026–27 Pakistan is chairing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for 2026–27. As part of its presidency, a meeting of national coordinators from member countries is scheduled to be held in Islamabad from Monday to Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by Pakistan’s SCO coordinator, Dr M. Faisal, will discuss the organisation’s programmes, preparations for upcoming meetings and ways to strengthen cooperation among member countries. Pakistan has chosen the theme “Vision to Action: Connectivity, New Technologies and Shared Prosperity” for its SCO presidency. It will focus on improving connectivity among member countries, promoting new technologies and boosting economic development. Indian officials visited Pakistan about 18 months after Operation Sindoor Around 18 months after Operation Sindoor, India sent a senior official to Pakistan to attend an SCO meeting. Alok Dimri, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and India’s SCO coordinator, led the Indian delegation at a meeting that began in Islamabad on 29 September. The meeting discussed SCO programmes under Pakistan’s presidency, preparations for upcoming meetings and other matters related to the organisation.