EAM Jaishankar To Visit Pakistan For SCO Summit, No Bilateral Talks Planned

After a 15-year hiatus, India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, is set to visit Pakistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on October 15. This visit marks a significant moment, as Jaishankar last visited Pakistan in 2015, accompanying then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her diplomatic visit. However, India has clarified that Jaishankar's participation in the SCO summit is strictly under the multilateral framework and does not signal the resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan. Jaishankar firmly stated there will be no dialogue with Pakistan, a country India accuses of backing cross-border terrorism. He emphasized that Pakistan must face the consequences of its support for terrorism, leaving no room for diplomatic engagement until the issue is resolved. Despite this stance, Farooq Abdullah's National Conference has called for full-fledged talks with Pakistan to improve relations. Yet, the long-standing tension between the two nations worsened after the 2016 Uri terror attack. India continues to maintain that no meaningful relationship with Pakistan is possible until Islamabad ceases its support for terrorism. Jaishankar’s upcoming visit is expected to focus solely on the SCO agenda, avoiding bilateral engagement with Pakistan.