A senior Indian official is visiting Pakistan to lead his country's delegation at a key Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Islamabad, marking the first visit of its kind since last year’s brief conflict between the two nations.

Alok Dimri, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of External Affairs and India’s national coordinator for the SCO, is heading the Indian delegation at the three-day meeting of the SCO Council of National Coordinators. The gathering began on Monday and will continue through September 30. Indian media have noted that Dimri’s presence in Pakistan is the first visit by an official of his rank in approximately eighteen months.

While the meetings are conducted under the SCO’s multilateral framework and not as bilateral talks between India and Pakistan, media reports emphasize the significance of the visit in maintaining dialogue channels despite ongoing tensions. Both nations joined the SCO as full members in 2017 and have since engaged in the organisation’s mechanisms, even as their bilateral relationship has remained strained.

The Islamabad meeting is the first Council of National Coordinators session held under Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27. Alongside national coordinators from all member states and representatives of the SCO Secretariat, the participants are focusing on setting the organisation’s agenda for the coming year. The discussions will also prepare for upcoming ministerial and high-level meetings within the SCO framework.

A critical objective of the meeting is to lay the groundwork for the SCO Council of Heads of State summit, which Pakistan is slated to host in Islamabad in August 2027. Under its chairmanship, Pakistan has chosen the theme “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.” The country’s Foreign Office has stated that Pakistan aims to advance regional connectivity, foster innovation and economic cooperation, and enhance people-to-people contacts among member states.

Officials indicated the coordinators would address a broad spectrum of issues related to SCO cooperation and coordination, along with logistical preparations for forthcoming SCO events. This gathering represents one of the initial steps in a series of engagements leading up to next year’s summit.

India’s continued participation in SCO forums highlights its approach to maintaining multilateral engagement despite ongoing bilateral disputes with Pakistan. Pakistan is expected to extend invitations to leaders of all SCO member states for the 2027 summit, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although final attendance decisions will be announced closer to the event.