ISLAMABAD: Regional connectivity, movement of goods and transit routes have emerged as key subjects at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s meetings in Islamabad, where India is participating despite continuing strains in its relationship with Pakistan.

The Indian delegation is being led by Alok Dimri, India’s national coordinator for the SCO and a senior Ministry of External Affairs official.

His presence in Islamabad marks the first visit by an Indian delegation to Pakistan since the military confrontation between the two countries during Operation Sindoor.

Speaking to Pakistan’s public broadcaster PTV on the sidelines of the SCO national coordinators’ meeting,

Dimri placed particular emphasis on connectivity, describing it as an important component of the organisation’s wider agenda of economic cooperation and regional development.

The focus on connectivity has particular significance for India because its overland access to Afghanistan and Central Asia through Pakistan remains restricted.

The SCO brings together countries spread across the Eurasian landmass, making transport links, trade corridors and transit routes an important part of the organisation’s economic agenda.

Dimri also linked the Islamabad meeting to the geographical evolution of the SCO.

He noted that the organisation’s recent presidencies had taken it from East Asia and Central Asia to South Asia, with Pakistan now hosting activities under its 2026-27 chairmanship.

The Indian official said the SCO was also pursuing greater interaction among the civilisations represented by its member countries.

A Civilisation Dialogue Forum is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on November 20, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal for such an initiative and subsequent agreement among SCO leaders.

For India, the Islamabad engagement therefore extends beyond the immediate three-day meeting.

The national coordinators’ discussions are part of a broader programme under Pakistan’s chairmanship, which will eventually lead to the next SCO Council of Heads of State summit scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in August 2027.

Pakistan has chosen “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity” as the theme of its SCO chairmanship.

Islamabad has said it intends to concentrate on connectivity, economic cooperation, innovation and stronger people-to-people contacts among member states.

Another development highlighted by Dimri was the growing role of English in SCO proceedings.

Russian and Chinese have traditionally been used for the organisation’s deliberations, while English was adopted as the bloc’s third official language at the Bishkek summit in September.

The SCO brings together 10 member states — India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

India and Pakistan have remained participants in the organisation even as their bilateral relationship has deteriorated, allowing limited official contact to continue through multilateral mechanisms.

The current engagement follows External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s October 2024 visit to Islamabad for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting.

That visit had also provided an opportunity for interaction between senior Indian and Pakistani officials under the SCO framework.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has meanwhile reiterated Islamabad’s stated intention to conduct its SCO presidency in accordance with the organisation’s “Shanghai Spirit”, stressing mutual trust, mutual benefit and constructive cooperation.

While the Islamabad meetings are taking place against the backdrop of difficult India-Pakistan relations, the SCO format provides both countries with a multilateral forum in which they continue to participate.

The discussions on connectivity, trade and transit underline the organisation’s economic dimension alongside its broader regional cooperation agenda.