Pakistan Climate Minister to Visit India for SCO Event

Pakistan's Climate Minister Musadik Masood Malik is set to visit New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Civilizational Dialogue from November 20 to 22, 2026. This trip marks the first visit by a Pakistani minister to India in more than three years. Pakistan's foreign ministry announced the nomination, stating that the government stays committed to promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework. According to Hindustan Times, the event's inaugural session is an initiative proposed by India to foster cultural exchange across Eurasia. The last high-level visit of this nature occurred in May 2023, when then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari travelled to Goa for a meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that invites were sent to all 10 member states of the SCO, along with dialogue partners and observer countries.

Context

Relations between India and Pakistan have faced severe strains following a military face-off and a four-day conflict in 2025. Multilateral platforms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation allow member states to engage on specific regional topics even when bilateral diplomatic talks remain difficult.