In Graphics: Why SCO, and Jaishankar's Pakistan visit, matters for India

Pakistan is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in Islamabad. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached Islamabad on Tuesday to attend the summit.

Jaishankar’s aircraft landed at the Nur Khan airbase, located on the outskirts of the capital, where he was welcomed by senior Pakistani officials. The External Affairs Minister and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also exchanged pleasantries at a dinner reception on the same day.

Notably, both sides have dismissed the possibility of any bilateral discussions between Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar during the SCO Council of Heads of Government summit.

Jaishankar’s visit is significant as it marks the first time in nearly nine years that India’s foreign minister has travelled to Pakistan, despite ongoing tensions between the two neighbours over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan.

The last Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who attended the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad from 8 to 9 December 2015. Jaishankar, then serving as India’s foreign secretary, was part of Swaraj’s delegation during that trip.

During her visit, Swaraj had held discussions with her then-counterpart, Sartaj Aziz. Following their talks, a joint statement was issued in which both sides announced their decision to initiate a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.

The SCO provides India with a platform for multi-level engagement and cooperation in areas such as security, trade and investment, and energy requirements. Earlier, in a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation.”

But beyond this, why does the SCO as well as Jaishankar’s trip to Pakistan matter to India? Let’s take a look at the reasons: