Why in the News?

• India recently sent a senior official to Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of National Coordinators meeting, marking the first visit by an Indian official delegation to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• SCO Meeting in Pakistan (India’s Participation, Significance of the Visit, India’s Broader Strategy, etc.)

India’s Participation in the SCO Meeting

• Pakistan assumed the rotating SCO presidency following the Bishkek summit held on August 31-September 1, leading to the national coordinators’ meeting in Islamabad.
• Despite strained India-Pakistan relations, India participated in the meeting as an SCO member.
• The Government of India sent Alok Dimri, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service officer and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
• The visit was also significant because it followed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s participation in the SCO Heads of Government meeting in Pakistan in October 2024.
• India’s participation illustrates the distinction between bilateral relations and multilateral institutional commitments. Membership of the SCO requires engagement in its meetings even when bilateral relations between member states remain difficult.

Significance of the Visit

• Maintaining a Diplomatic Presence
  • India’s participation provides an opportunity to remain directly engaged with developments within the SCO, particularly while Pakistan holds the organisation’s presidency.
  • The Indian side is expected to closely observe Pakistan’s activities under the SCO framework, including the organisation of meetings and the presentation of territorial issues.
  • There are also concerns regarding possible references to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in SCO-related events and the use of maps or other materials that depict Indian territory in ways contrary to India’s position.
  • Participation therefore allows India to remain present in the institutional process and respond to developments within the organisation.
• Possibility of a Future Prime Ministerial Visit
  • Pakistan is expected to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the SCO leaders’ summit in Pakistan next year, although the dates have not yet been announced.
  • Whether such a visit takes place would depend on the circumstances prevailing at that time. Prime Minister Modi has not visited Pakistan since 2015, while India had earlier boycotted the SAARC summit scheduled in Pakistan.
  • The SCO meetings could consequently serve as an institutional channel through which the feasibility of higher-level engagement can be assessed.
• Limited Engagement Amid Wider Geopolitical Uncertainty
  • The India-Pakistan relationship is also being shaped by developments beyond South Asia.
  • The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the US-Iran conflict have consumed considerable international diplomatic attention. At the same time, India has had to manage its relationships with both the United States and China.
  • Within this environment, limited diplomatic engagement can provide channels for communication and situational awareness, even when comprehensive bilateral dialogue remains constrained.
  • Military-level contacts and multilateral platforms can also help maintain minimum communication channels during periods of heightened regional tension.
• Kashmir and Terrorism Remain Sensitive Issues
  • India’s engagement at the SCO does not remove differences over issues such as Kashmir and terrorism.
  • Statements by Pakistan concerning these issues are likely to receive a strong response from India.
  • This highlights the continuing importance of managing sensitive bilateral issues even within multilateral forums.
  • For India, participation therefore involves balancing institutional engagement with the defence of its established diplomatic positions.
• The China Dimension
  • The SCO engagement also needs to be viewed within the broader India-China relationship.
  • The India-China border standoff since May 2020 remains a major strategic concern for New Delhi. India consequently has an interest in preventing simultaneous escalation on multiple fronts.
  • Multilateral platforms such as the SCO provide opportunities for interaction with both China and Pakistan.
  • Such institutional contacts can contribute to communication and, under appropriate circumstances, help prevent tensions from escalating.

India’s Broader SCO Strategy

• The SCO provides India with a platform to engage with major Eurasian countries on issues including regional security, connectivity, counter-terrorism and economic cooperation.
• India's participation also reflects the importance of maintaining a presence in multilateral organisations even when bilateral relations with individual members are difficult.
• This approach is consistent with the broader principle of strategic autonomy, where India maintains multiple diplomatic channels rather than allowing bilateral tensions to completely restrict multilateral engagement.