India is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of National Coordinators meeting in Islamabad from September 28 to 30, with Joint Secretary Alok Dimri representing the Indian delegation.
The meeting marks the first major engagement under Pakistan’s 2026-27 chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State, which it assumed from Kyrgyzstan on September 1.
The talks are expected to focus on finalising the organisation’s calendar of events and activities for the year.
SCO under Pakistan’s chairmanship
Pakistan is hosting the SCO’s activities under the theme, “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity”.
The national coordinators’ meeting is expected to set the schedule for ministerial meetings, working groups and other activities during Pakistan’s chairmanship.
The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of continuing tensions between India and Pakistan and the absence of substantive bilateral engagement between the two countries.
Despite their differences, both sides have continued to participate in SCO mechanisms and meetings, keeping bilateral issues separate from the organisation’s multilateral framework.
India’s focus on counterterrorism and connectivity
India is expected to maintain its focus on counterterrorism within the SCO framework. Pakistan currently chairs the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS), while India has consistently stressed the need for collective action against terrorism, extremism and separatism.
New Delhi has also supported SCO connectivity initiatives while maintaining that such projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.
The discussions will eventually lead to the SCO Council of Heads of State summit, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in August 2027. Islamabad is expected to invite leaders of all SCO member states, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Whether Modi will travel to Pakistan for the summit remains uncertain. India’s engagement with Pakistan through SCO mechanisms has so far continued without translating into a broader resumption of bilateral dialogue.
India’s engagement with the SCO in Pakistan
India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO in 2017. Since then, Indian officials have regularly travelled to Pakistan for meetings and exercises organised under the grouping.
In October 2024, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting. It was the first visit by an Indian external affairs minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years.
In July 2026, an Indian delegation also travelled to Islamabad for the 12th SCO meeting of heads of border services, which focused on regional border security cooperation.
Indian officials have also participated in SCO-RATS exercises and expert-level meetings hosted by Pakistan.
The SCO framework allows India and Pakistan to continue participating in multilateral activities despite their bilateral differences. Under the SCO Charter, member states are expected to keep bilateral disputes separate from the organisation’s proceedings.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, while Iran and Belarus later joined the organisation.
The grouping focuses on regional security, economic cooperation, connectivity and efforts against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
