India-Pakistan SCO Engagement

Syllabus- IR [GS Paper-2]

03/10/2026

15 4 minutes read

Context

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and India’s SCO National Coordinator Alok Dimri was sent to Pakistan for the meeting of the national coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The visit marked the first time an official delegation-level visit had been made to Pakistan by Indians in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a time of strained relations.

India’s Multilateral Engagement Continues Despite Bilateral Tensions

India’s inclusion is a sign of the differences that India has drawn between bilateral relations with Pakistan and joining multilateral forums like the SCO.
India has repeatedly insisted that bilateral talks with Pakistan must be held in a peaceful atmosphere and urged that it continue to engage in established multilateral formats involving both countries.
In any case, the Pakistan meeting is not a rollout of comprehensive bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.
The participation will also help India not to be left out of the decision-making process on the issues of regional connectivity, trade, transit and cooperation across the Eurasian region.
At the meeting, India mentioned the issues of connectivity, regional connectivity, transit and trade as important fields of cooperation in the SCO.

Pakistan’s SCO Presidency Will Be Closely Watched

With its presidency, Pakistan can influence the organisation’s agenda of activities.
India will closely watch Pakistan’s use of the SCO platform, particularly in the context of regional security, terrorism, connectivity and territorial narratives.
This also enables India to raise issues on a multilateral platform, instead of keeping silent when issues of concern to the entire region are discussed.
Pakistan’s presidency’s theme is “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.”
This means that India will have to strike a balance between security issues and the general interest of keeping a constructive multilateral presence.

The Question of a Future SCO Summit in Pakistan

The next meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State is to be held in 2027 under the Presidency of Pakistan. Pakistan was officially added to the list of hosts with the Bishkek declaration.
The current Indian involvement at the officials’ level is a good chance to evaluate the performance of the SCO under the Pakistani presidency before deciding on further involvement at higher levels.

India Can Use the SCO Platform to Respond to Regional Narratives

India also has platforms like multilateral forums where it can voice its position on terrorism and regional security and sovereignty issues in the presence of other member countries of the SCO.
India has also utilised the opportunity of SCO meetings in the past to underline that cooperation in trade, energy and connectivity is inextricably linked to issues of terrorism, extremist and separatist movements.
It also enables India to track official documents, statements and initiatives from the organisation, and take a diplomatic response where it is impacted.
The strategy is one that exemplifies Indian foreign policy in general: once engaged in a multilateral institution, there is no agreement on bilateral issues.

China Remains a Major Strategic Factor

While the immediate involvement is with India-Pakistan, there is a bigger strategic significance to the SCO as China is also a member of the organisation.
India’s involvement thus offers an opportunity to deal simultaneously with multiple powers in Eurasia, including China, Russia and the Central Asian states.
It is also relevant to the connectivity, energy security, trade and access to Central Asia interests of the organisation for India.
Connectivity and regional economic cooperation have been an area of special concern in the recent SCO discussions in which India has strategic interests.
The challenge for India is to keep its presence in the organisation as well as safeguard its rights on sovereignty, security, and terrorism.

What Does the Visit Mean for India-Pakistan Relations?

Pakistan could be considered essentially a bilateral reset, but the main part of the visit should be seen as institutional multilateral engagement.
Though the direct dialogue between the two countries is limited, they can communicate through the SCO channels.
This restricted engagement can keep the lines of communication open and afford opportunities for dealing with problems that may develop within the multilateral organisation.
Meanwhile, India’s ongoing India’s involvement will not eliminate the inherent conflict issues about terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and bilateral security issues.

Way Ahead

India will continue to be engaged in the SCO picture, and bilateral engagement with Pakistan will stay specific to the security landscape.
India will have to leverage the SCO platform to take its interests in regional connectivity, counter-terrorism, economic cooperation and engagement with Central Asian countries forward.
India needs to be consistent with its position on sovereignty and territorial integrity in its participation.
Pakistan’s hosting of the SCO for 2026-27 might serve as a valuable lesson in the level of India-Pakistan integration, even in the same multilateral grouping, in the face of some bilateral issues.

Conclusion

That India is dispatching a National Coordinator for the SCO to Pakistan highlights its high regard for multilateral diplomacy even when bilateral relations are not so smooth. The visit is no guarantee of a revival of India-Pakistan bilateral talks. Rather, it is a sign of India’s efforts to stay involved in an important Eurasian institution, to watch what is going on while Pakistan is in the chair, and to safeguard India’s strategic interests.

Source: The Indian Express