Explained: First official Indian visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor
India shuns bilateral talks with Pakistan, yet an Indian diplomat went to Islamabad. What does SCO membership demand?
Published 3 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
An Indian official has made the first official visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor, The Indian Express explained on 3 October 2026. Alok Dimri, an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, went to Islamabad for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) national coordinators, senior officials who coordinate the members' multilateral cooperation within the SCO. The meeting was in Pakistan because Pakistan took over the SCO presidency after the Bishkek summit of 31 August and 1 September 2026; it is due to host the next summit in 2027. According to the Express, India treats attendance as an obligation of membership and as a way to gain situational awareness of Pakistan's plans under its presidency.
Relations have been frozen since the terrorist attack at Pahalgam on 22 April 2025, in which 26 people were killed, and Operation Sindoor, India's strikes on terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that began on 7 May 2025 and led to four days of conflict. On 12 May 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out what the Express calls a 'new normal': a guaranteed response to terror attacks, no distinction between terrorists and the state actors who back them, and continued strikes on terror infrastructure. India has since kept bilateral contact to a minimum but continues to sit with Pakistan in multilateral forums. There are precedents: Pakistan's Foreign Minister came to Goa for an SCO foreign ministers' meeting in May 2023, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar went to Islamabad for an SCO heads of government meeting in October 2024.
The Express lists what India will watch. It will closely follow how Pakistan hosts SCO meetings, drawing a parallel with India's own G20 meeting in Kashmir in May 2023, and will look out for any territorial misrepresentation in official SCO documents. The larger decision is whether Prime Minister Modi travels to Pakistan for the SCO leaders' summit, which would be a major political call. The analysis also notes the 'Trump factor', and US President Donald Trump's support for Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, and argues that the border standoff with China since May 2020 remains a bigger challenge for India than Pakistan. The Express adds that India will continue to push back firmly against any provocative statements by Pakistan, particularly on Kashmir or terrorism.
Prelims facts
- Alok Dimri, Additional Secretary in the MEA, attended the SCO national coordinators' meeting in Islamabad, the first official Indian visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor.
- Pakistan took over the SCO presidency after the Bishkek summit of 31 August and 1 September 2026 and is to host the 2027 summit.
- Operation Sindoor began on 7 May 2025, after the Pahalgam terrorist attack of 22 April 2025 in which 26 people were killed.
- The SCO was founded in 2001; India and Pakistan became full members in 2017; its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is in Tashkent.
- Precedents for SCO visits: Pakistan's Foreign Minister in Goa (May 2023) and S. Jaishankar in Islamabad (October 2024).
Quick recall
- Who made the first official Indian visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor?
- Alok Dimri, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, for the SCO national coordinators' meeting in Islamabad.
- When did Pakistan take over the SCO presidency?
- After the Bishkek summit of 31 August and 1 September 2026.
- Date of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the number killed?
- 22 April 2025; 26 people killed.
- When did Operation Sindoor begin?
- 7 May 2025.
- On what date did the Prime Minister set out the 'new normal' on terrorism?
- 12 May 2025.
- Where is the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure based?
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
- When did India and Pakistan become full SCO members?
- 2017.
- Since when has the India-China border standoff persisted?
- Since May 2020.
Prelims practice question
Consider the following statements about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
1. India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO in 2017.
2. The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is headquartered in Tashkent.
3. Pakistan holds the SCO presidency for 2026-27.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: (c) All three. All three are correct. India and Pakistan joined as full members at the 2017 Astana summit; RATS is based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Pakistan took over the presidency after the Bishkek summit of 2026 and hosts the 2027 summit.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: The SCO, cross-border terrorism and India's Pakistan policy
Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India?
How to use thisUse it to show the SCO's value to India as a multilateral platform that stays open even when bilateral ties with Pakistan are frozen, and to note its limits.
- The SCO was founded in 2001; India and Pakistan became full members in 2017; its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent gives India a forum to press its case on cross-border terror.
- India sent Additional Secretary Alok Dimri to the SCO national coordinators' meeting in Islamabad, treating attendance as a membership obligation and a way to gain situational awareness of Pakistan's presidency.
- Limits: in June 2025 India refused to endorse an SCO defence ministers' joint statement in Qingdao that left out the Pahalgam attack.
- How to use this
Use it to show India-Pakistan hostility as conflict within the SCO and India's calibrated response: attend, guard against misrepresentation, and refuse diluted positions on terror.
- Conflict inside the SCO: after the Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025 (26 killed) and Operation Sindoor from 7 May 2025, Pakistan now holds the SCO presidency and hosts the 2027 summit.
- India's role: it keeps attending, as with the first official visit since Operation Sindoor to Islamabad, while watching for territorial misrepresentation in official SCO documents.
- India refused to endorse the June 2025 Qingdao defence ministers' joint statement that omitted Pahalgam, showing it will not let consensus dilute its stand on terrorism.
Confirms India's SCO membership, the basis on which it attends meetings even in Pakistan.
Mains practice question
India refuses bilateral dialogue with Pakistan but continues to engage it within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Examine the logic and the limits of this approach. (150 words)
Model answer
Since the Pahalgam attack (22 April 2025) and Operation Sindoor (May 2025), India has frozen bilateral ties with Pakistan. Yet an Indian Additional Secretary attended the SCO national coordinators' meeting in Islamabad, as Pakistan chairs the SCO for 2026-27.
The logic
- Membership duty: skipping SCO meetings would cede ground to others in a forum with Russia, China and Central Asia.
- Situational awareness: presence lets India track Pakistan's agenda and any territorial misrepresentation in SCO documents.
- Counter-terror platform: the SCO's RATS gives India a forum to press its case on cross-border terror.
The limits
- Diluted statements: in June 2025 India refused to endorse an SCO defence ministers' joint statement in Qingdao that left out the Pahalgam attack.
- Summit dilemma: a prime ministerial visit for the 2027 summit would be politically costly.
- Bigger challenges: the China border standoff since May 2020 weighs more.
Calibrated multilateral engagement serves India best, provided it does not blur its stand on terrorism.
The basics
Why this matters
India's policy toward Pakistan since 2025 rests on a firm line: no bilateral dialogue while terror continues. But both countries sit together in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and this year Pakistan chairs it. The visit of an Indian official to Islamabad shows how India separates multilateral duty from bilateral policy.
The grouping
The SCO is a Eurasian body for political, security and economic cooperation, centred mainly on security. Its counter-terrorism arm is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
- 1Council of Heads of StateThe annual summit and the top decision-making body
- 2Council of Heads of GovernmentPrime ministers' meeting focused on economic and budget matters
- 3Council of National CoordinatorsSenior officials who coordinate members' multilateral cooperation; the meeting an Indian Additional Secretary attended in Islamabad
- 4Secretariat, BeijingThe permanent administrative body
- 5Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, TashkentPromotes cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism
Why relations are frozen
The freeze dates to the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
- 2001SCO founded in Shanghai
- 2017India and Pakistan become full members
- May 2023Pakistan's Foreign Minister attends SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Goa
- October 2024S. Jaishankar attends SCO heads of government meeting in Islamabad
- 22 April 2025Pahalgam terror attack kills 26
- 7 May 2025Operation Sindoor begins
- 31 August to 1 September 2026Bishkek summit; Pakistan takes over the SCO presidency
Two tracks
India's approach rests on an old principle: India and Pakistan settle their issues bilaterally, as agreed in the Simla Agreement and bilateralism. Multilateral meetings are a separate track.
- No structured dialogue since 2025
- Policy of a guaranteed response to terror attacks
- Third-party mediation rejected
- Attends meetings as a member's obligation
- Uses forums to press the terrorism agenda
- Watches documents for territorial misrepresentation
The takeaway
Attending a meeting in Islamabad is not a thaw. It is India keeping its seat at a table that Pakistan happens to be chairing.
Go deeper
In one line: An MEA Additional Secretary went to Islamabad for an SCO national coordinators' meeting, the first official Indian visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor, because Pakistan now chairs the SCO.
Why it matters for UPSC
India-Pakistan relations and regional groupings are standard GS2 topics. Mains asked about the SCO in 2021 and 2023, and Prelims in 2022.
The core idea
India keeps two tracks. Bilaterally, it has frozen ties since Operation Sindoor and holds to the principle in the Simla Agreement and bilateralism. Multilaterally, it stays active in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, including its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, even when Pakistan is the host.
Numbers and dates to remember
- Pahalgam attack: 22 April 2025, 26 killed
- Operation Sindoor began: 7 May 2025
- PM's address setting out the 'new normal': 12 May 2025
- Bishkek summit: 31 August and 1 September 2026; Pakistan takes the presidency
- SCO founded: 2001; India and Pakistan full members: 2017
- India-China border standoff: since May 2020
Where to go next
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: structure, members and India's place in it
- Operation Sindoor: the 2025 conflict behind the freeze
- Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure: the SCO's counter-terror arm
- Simla Agreement and bilateralism: why India keeps Pakistan issues bilateral
Go deeper: Can India engage Pakistan multilaterally without softening its stand?
The case for engagement. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is India's main forum with Russia, China and the Central Asian states together. Staying away would leave the field to others and let Pakistan shape the agenda unchallenged. Attending lets India watch for territorial misrepresentation in documents and press its case on cross-border terrorism, including through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
The case for caution. SCO statements may not reflect India's position on terrorism: in June 2025 India refused to endorse an SCO defence ministers' joint statement in Qingdao that left out the Pahalgam attack. A visit by the Prime Minister for the 2027 summit would be read at home as a softening after Operation Sindoor, and the Express calls it a significant political decision.
The principle. India's position since the Simla Agreement and bilateralism is that disputes with Pakistan are bilateral, with no third-party role. Multilateral attendance does not breach this, because India is not negotiating with Pakistan in these meetings; it is meeting obligations to the group.
The wider frame. The Express notes the 'Trump factor', with Trump's support for Pakistan's Army Chief, and argues that the border standoff with China since May 2020 is the larger challenge. India's Pakistan policy is therefore one part of a bigger balancing act with China and the United States.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The grouping Pakistan now chairs
In one line: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian grouping, founded in 2001, for political, security and economic cooperation.
Members
It grew out of the 'Shanghai Five' (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and was founded with Uzbekistan in 2001. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, making ten members.
How it works
The Council of Heads of State, which meets once a year, is the supreme decision-making body. The member holding the chairmanship hosts the leaders' summit: India chaired in 2023, and Pakistan, chair since September 2026, is to host the 2027 summit in Islamabad. Its permanent bodies are the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent.
Why it is in the news
Pakistan took over the presidency after the Bishkek summit of 2026, so SCO meetings, including that of national coordinators, are being held there.
Where to go next
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: every story that connects to it (2)
Operation Sindoor
The 2025 conflict that froze India-Pakistan ties
In one line: Operation Sindoor was India's military response, beginning on 7 May 2025, to the terrorist attack at Pahalgam on 22 April 2025.
What happened
Terrorists killed 26 people at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. On 7 May 2025 India struck terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, leading to four days of conflict that ended on 10 May.
The 'new normal'
In his address on 12 May 2025, the Prime Minister set out a doctrine: a guaranteed response to terror attacks, no distinction between terrorists and the state actors behind them, and continued strikes on terror infrastructure.
Why it is in the news
The SCO meeting in Islamabad was the first official Indian visit to Pakistan since the operation.
Where to go next
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure
The SCO's counter-terror arm and India's lever in the group
In one line: The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is the SCO's permanent body for cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism, based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
What it does
Its Executive Committee in Tashkent promotes cooperation among member states against what the SCO calls the 'three evils' of terrorism, separatism and extremism. Its Director is elected for a three-year term. RATS has also set up links with the African Union's counter-terrorism research centre.
Why it matters to India
RATS is one of the few platforms where India can raise cross-border terrorism with Pakistan and China in the same room. Its limits show in SCO statements: in June 2025 India refused to endorse a defence ministers' statement that left out the Pahalgam attack.
Where to go next
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure: every story that connects to it (3)
Simla Agreement and bilateralism
Why India insists Pakistan issues are bilateral
In one line: The Simla Agreement of 1972, signed after the 1971 war, committed India and Pakistan to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.
What it says
Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto signed it in July 1972. It turned the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir into the Line of Control and bound both sides to respect it.
Why it still matters
India cites it to reject third-party mediation on Kashmir. That is why India separates multilateral meetings, where it meets obligations to a group, from bilateral talks, which it has suspended since 2025.
Why it is in the news
The Islamabad visit is multilateral, not a bilateral opening, which keeps India's position consistent.
Where to go next
Prelims-style quiz
Consider the following statements about India's recent engagement with Pakistan:
1. An MEA Additional Secretary attended an SCO national coordinators' meeting in Islamabad.
2. This was India's first official visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor.
3. The meeting was held in Pakistan because it hosted the 2026 SCO summit.
How many of the statements given above are correct?- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: (b) Only two. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the 2026 summit was in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Pakistan holds the presidency after that summit and hosts the 2027 summit.
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India attends SCO meetings hosted by Pakistan even while it avoids bilateral dialogue with Pakistan.
Statement-II: India treats attendance at SCO meetings as an obligation of membership, separate from bilateral talks.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
- Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Show answer
Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct, and the second explains the first: India sees multilateral attendance as a membership duty that does not amount to bilateral engagement.
Consider the following countries:
1. Iran
2. Belarus
3. Afghanistan
4. Turkmenistan
How many of the above are full members of the SCO?- Only one
- Only two
- Only three
- All four
Show answer
Answer: (b) Only two. Iran (2023) and Belarus (2024) are full members. Afghanistan is not a member, and Turkmenistan, which follows a policy of neutrality, has not joined. So only two.
The Simla Agreement of 1972 is significant for India's present policy toward Pakistan mainly because it:
- Created the Line of Actual Control with China
- Committed both countries to settle differences bilaterally
- Set up the Indus Waters Treaty
- Made India and Pakistan members of the SCO
Show answer
Answer: (b) Committed both countries to settle differences bilaterally. The Simla Agreement bound India and Pakistan to resolve differences through bilateral negotiations and turned the ceasefire line into the Line of Control. The LAC concerns China, the Indus treaty dates to 1960, and SCO membership came in 2017.
Consider the following statements:
1. The SCO's permanent Secretariat is in Beijing.
2. The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is headquartered in Beijing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.