Pakistan confirms minister's India visit for SCO dialogue, first such visit since 2023

Pakistan has confirmed its participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, nominating Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Masood Malik to represent the country.

The announcement was made by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said Malik would attend the India-hosted event.

"The Government of Pakistan has nominated Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, to represent Pakistan at the SCO Civilisational Dialogue to be held in New Delhi from 20 to 22 November 2026," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that the forum would bring together representatives of SCO member states to discuss cultural understanding and civilisational engagement.

Pakistan also reiterated its commitment to “promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect.”

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First Pakistani ministerial visit since 2023

Malik's proposed visit is significant as high-level ministerial exchanges between India and Pakistan have remained rare in recent years.

If the visit goes ahead, he would become the first Pakistani minister to travel to India since then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Goa in May 2023.

It would also mark the first such visit since the four-day military conflict between the two countries in May 2025. The confrontation followed the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.

Pakistan's confirmation comes a day after India announced that it had invited all 10 SCO member states, including Islamabad, to the Civilisational Dialogue Forum.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had expressed hope that Pakistan would participate in the event.

"I should be hopeful that they will come," Shekhawat said at a press conference while discussing the invitations.

The inaugural edition of the forum, an initiative proposed by India, will be held at Delhi's Purana Qila. It aims to promote cultural exchange, strengthen civilisational understanding and encourage people-to-people ties across Eurasia.

India has also invited SCO observer countries and dialogue partners to attend the event.