New Delhi, October 28, 2026: India has invited Pakistan’s National Heritage and Culture Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi on November 20–21, marking the first such invitation to a senior Pakistani minister since Operation Sindoor.
SCO Forum to Be Held in Delhi
The Civilisational Dialogue Forum is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on November 20–21.
India is required to invite representatives from all SCO member countries as host of the multilateral programme.
Pakistan Culture Minister Invited
The invitation has been extended to Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, Pakistan’s National Heritage and Culture Minister.
It remains unclear whether Khichi will personally travel to India or whether Pakistan will send another representative.
First Senior Ministerial Invite Since Operation Sindoor
This is the first time India has invited a senior Pakistani minister since military tensions escalated following Operation Sindoor in May 2025, which came after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Not First SCO Contact Since Hostilities
The invitation should not be interpreted as the first diplomatic contact between the two countries since Operation Sindoor.
In September 2026, India’s SCO Coordinator Alok Dimri, an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, travelled to Islamabad for an SCO national coordinators’ meeting.
India Continues Multilateral Engagement
New Delhi’s position has been that meaningful bilateral engagement with Pakistan requires an environment free from terrorism.
At the same time, India continues to interact with Pakistan through multilateral organisations such as the SCO.
Forum Proposed by PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed an SCO civilisational dialogue during the grouping’s summit in Tianjin in September 2025.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally announced on October 20, 2026 that India would host the forum.
Focus on Culture and Shared Heritage
The forum is expected to focus on cultural links, art, literature, traditions and the shared civilisational heritage of SCO member states.
India is expected to host the programme at one of Delhi’s prominent heritage locations.
India-Pakistan Relations Remain Strained
The invitation does not signal a formal resumption of bilateral political talks.
India-Pakistan ties remain strained, and New Delhi continues to maintain that cross-border terrorism remains the principal obstacle to normal relations.
Last Senior Pakistani Ministerial Visit Was in 2023
The last major visit by a senior Pakistani minister to India was in May 2023, when then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended an SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa.
Pakistan to Host SCO Summit Next Year
Pakistan is scheduled to host the next SCO leaders’ summit, meaning India and Pakistan are likely to continue interacting through the organisation despite frozen bilateral ties.
The Delhi invitation therefore represents a limited but notable diplomatic engagement within the SCO framework rather than a broader thaw in India-Pakistan relations.
Source: The Indian Express
Supreme News Network
