India invites Pakistan for SCO event, first since Operation Sindoor
What's the story
India has invited Pakistan's Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, to the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum. The event will be held in New Delhi from November 20-22. This is the first time since Operation Sindoor that India has extended such an invitation to a senior Pakistani minister.
Event details
Forum announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced the forum at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 20.
He invited all member states to participate in this event.
"At the end of this year, India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum. We invite all SCO countries to participate in it," Singh said.
The forum will focus on strengthening cultural ties and promoting mutual understanding among member states.
Forum agenda
Jointly organized by Ministry of Culture
The SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Tianjin, China, in September 2025.
The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs are jointly organizing the event at Purana Qila.
Discussions will include civilizational links, cultural diplomacy, heritage cooperation, education, and traditional knowledge systems.
Bilateral dynamics
Amid strained bilateral relations, Pakistan yet to confirm attendance
India's invitation to Pakistan comes amid strained bilateral relations.
The two countries have remained engaged through the SCO despite tensions since the 2016 Pathankot and Uri terror attacks.
However, Pakistan has not confirmed Khichi's attendance at the forum yet.
If Khichi attends, it would be the first visit by a senior Pakistani minister to India since Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa in May 2023.
Diplomatic engagements
Limited dialogue between India and Pakistan during recent SCO meetings
Recent SCO meetings have provided platforms for limited dialogue between India and Pakistan.
In September 2026, India's SCO National Coordinator Alok Dimri led a delegation in Islamabad, where he highlighted issues, including regional connectivity, transit and trade.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also visited Islamabad in October 2024 for an SCO meeting.
Pakistan currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the SCO for 2026-27 and will host its next summit of SCO leaders in Islamabad in August 2027.