External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will begin a two-day visit to Islamabad today to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

Dr. Jaishankar previously stated that his visit to Pakistan is strictly for the multilateral event, ruling out any bilateral talks. This marks the first high-level visit by an Indian Foreign Minister to Pakistan in nine years.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization with nine member states: India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO aims to strengthen mutual trust and foster cooperation in areas such as politics, trade, economy, research, technology, and culture among its members.