The Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday that Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik had been nominated to represent Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi from Nov 20-22.
In a statement, the FO said the gathering would bring representatives from SCO member states to discuss issues related to civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding.
“The government of Pakistan remains committed to promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect,” the statement said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X: “Pakistan who is chairing the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) in 2026-27, will participate in SCO Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi this month.”
According to Indian news outlet YEARS10 SCO members — including Pakistan — have been invited to participate in the inaugural Civilisational Dialogue. It added that the gathering was proposed by New Delhi.
In a press briefing on Friday, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has invited several SCO member states to take part in the dialogue, adding that New Delhi looks forward to hosting the gathering.
Islamabad has a long history of engagement with the SCO through hosting meetings and chairing bodies within the group. It also holds the permanent chairmanship of an SCO working group on poverty alleviation, which focuses on improving living standards across the region.
In October 2024, Islamabad hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government meetingwhich India’s Minister for External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar attended on behalf of his prime minister.
Jaishankar’s trip, months before the May 2025 military conflict between the neighbours escalated tensions, marked the first such visit by an Indian foreign minister in nearly a decade.
Last month, India sent its SCO National Coordinator Alok Dimri to Islamabad for a preparatory meeting for the next SCO CHS meeting in August 2027which Pakistan is set to host.
“This is my first time on Pakistani soil; these SCO-related programmes will continue throughout the year and culminate in the Islamabad summit,” the Indian official had told PTV News.
Pakistan’s chairmanship of SCO CHS marks another step in the country’s growing engagement with the regional organisation, which has expanded its focus from security cooperation to economic development and regional connectivity.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has noted that Pakistan’s membership has evolved from observer status to proactive full membership since 2017, reflecting its commitment to multilateralism and regional cooperation.
Earlier this month, Pakistan also assumed the chairmanship of the SCO Interbank Consortium (SCO-IBC) for 2026-27, the Ministry of Finance said, with HBL Chairman Sultan Ai Allana taking charge for the period.
“The development coincides with Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO for the same period, reflecting the country’s role in promoting regional trade, investment, financial connectivity and economic cooperation”, the ministry said.
Pakistan also chairs SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS), a role it assumed in September 2025.
Source: www.dawn.com
