India invites Pakistan for SCO forum in Delhi, first invitation since Operation Sindoor
The invitation comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan remain strained following Operation Sindoor, launched by India in May 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack.
PTC News Desk: India has invited Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, to attend the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, according to diplomatic sources. India has extended invitations to all 10 SCO member countries.
The invitation comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan remain strained following Operation Sindoor, launched by India in May 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack. If Khichi attends the forum, it would be the first visit by a senior Pakistani minister to India since the military operation.
The last time a senior Pakistani minister visited India was in May 2023, when then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the forum at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 20. He said all member countries had been invited. The forum aims to strengthen cultural ties and promote better understanding among SCO members.
During the meeting, Singh called for a strong and consistent response to terrorism. He stressed that all countries must adopt the same approach and avoid double standards when dealing with the issue.
“There should be no double standards in dealing with terrorism, and no place for those who finance, support or provide safe havens to terrorists. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled,” he said.
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the meeting.
Pakistan takes over SCO chairmanship
Pakistan assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the 2026–27 term on September 1, taking over from Kyrgyzstan after the summit in Bishkek.
The SCO has 10 member countries: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India became a full member of the organisation in 2017.
Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status, while 15 other countries are dialogue partners of the grouping.