Islamabad: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting. Upon his arrival at Noor Khan Airbase, senior Pakistani officials warmly welcomed him, with children presenting him bouquets, images of which he shared on social media.
During his visit, Jaishankar is expected to attend a dinner hosted by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, welcoming SCO member countries. His arrival marks a significant moment as it is the first high-level Indian visit to Pakistan in several years amidst ongoing tensions between the two nations.
Before departing for Pakistan, Jaishankar emphasised India’s active engagement with this influential regional group, highlighting the focus on trade and economic agendas during the annual SCO CHG meetings. This visit is particularly noteworthy as it comes nine years after a previous visit by the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who attended a security conference in Islamabad in 2015.
Pakistan is hosting a two-day SCO meeting on 15 and 16 October, for which stringent security measures have been implemented. Military personnel, intelligence agencies, and Frontier Corps have been deployed across key locations, ensuring heightened security for foreign delegations. The Pakistani government has also declared a three-day public holiday, during which schools and businesses will remain closed, and the capital, Islamabad, is under lockdown.