India has invited all 10 member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including Pakistan, to participate in the bloc’s inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, officials said.
The multilateral initiative is separate from India’s bilateral relations with Pakistan, officials clarified, adding that the invitation should be viewed in the broader context of the SCO’s engagement with its member states.
Pakistan’s national heritage and culture minister, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, has been invited to attend the event.
The forum is being organised jointly by the ministries of culture and external affairs. Pakistan last participated in an SCO foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa in May 2023.
India Maintains Its Position on Terrorism
The invitation comes nearly 18 months after Operation Sindoor, launched following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 that killed 26 people. The subsequent military confrontation between India and Pakistan lasted four days, ending with a ceasefire on May 10.
During the operation, Indian forces targeted alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The confrontation also involved strikes on military installations and heightened tensions between the two countries.
Despite its participation in multilateral forums, India has continued to emphasise the need for decisive action against terrorism and has opposed what it describes as double standards in addressing the threat.
On October 20, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for joint efforts to dismantle terrorism at the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. His remarks were delivered in the presence of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishaq Dar.
Singh stressed that terrorism could not be justified and called for a collective approach to combating the threat.
SCO Engagement Continues Amid Bilateral Tensions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the Civilisational Dialogue initiative at the SCO leaders’ summit in Tianjin in 2025.
India has continued to participate in SCO meetings despite strained relations with Pakistan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Pakistan in October 2024 to attend the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, becoming the first Indian foreign minister to visit the country in nine years.
The upcoming forum reflects India’s continued engagement with the multilateral organisation, which brings together countries across Asia and Eurasia to discuss cooperation in areas including culture, security and regional development.
Officials said the invitation to Pakistan is part of the broader multilateral framework and should not be interpreted as a change in India’s position on bilateral issues or terrorism.
