India has invited Pakistan to participate in its inaugural Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum, scheduled to take place in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, marking a potential diplomatic development following the military conflict between the two neighbours in May 2025.
The invitation has been extended to all 10 SCO member states, including Pakistan. According to diplomatic sources cited in Indian media reports, Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, has been invited to attend the gathering.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the initiative during the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 20. He said the forum would provide an opportunity for member countries to strengthen cultural engagement and promote mutual understanding.
The invitation comes amid strained relations between Islamabad and New Delhi following their four-day military conflict in May 2025. India launched military operations after an attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which it blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegations.
If Khichi attends, his visit would mark the first trip by a senior Pakistani minister to India since former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended an SCO meeting in Goa in May 2023.
However, Pakistan has not yet officially confirmed whether its minister will participate in the upcoming forum.
Pakistan assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the 2026–27 term on September 1, following Kyrgyzstan.
The proposed gathering could provide an opportunity for cultural diplomacy and engagement between member states. Nevertheless, significant political and security disagreements continue to complicate relations between India and Pakistan.
The SCO comprises 10 countries, including China, Russia, India and Pakistan, and promotes cooperation across political, economic and cultural fields.
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