Indian FM lands in rare visit to Pakistan for SCO summit

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday in the first such visit in almost a decade for a meeting of governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, with the capital city under tight lockdown.

Jaishankar was among nearly a dozen leaders participating in the gathering in Islamabad, which was culminating with the main event on Wednesday.

The meeting of the SCO, a Eurasian security and political group formed in 2001 by Russia and China, is the highest-profile event hosted by Islamabad in years.

State broadcasted PTV showed images of Jaishankar being greeted by Pakistani officials on the runway after his plane touched down near the capital Islamabad just before 3:30 pm.

The event has drawn significant attention due to the longstanding animosity between India and Pakistan. This marks the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations remain high.

India was the only SCO member that did not send a head of government to the high-profile meeting, choosing instead to be represented by its foreign minister.

The Kyrgyz, Tajik, Kazakh, and Belarus prime ministers, Akylbek Zhaparov, Qohir Rasulzoda and Olzhas Bektenov and Roman Golovchenko, all arrived on Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is already in Pakistan, while several more prime ministers of other member and observer states, including Russian Premier Mikhail Mishustin, will also be participating in person.

Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, welcomes Chinese Premier Li Qiang as he arrives in Islamabad for four-day visit. Pakistan PM House

While the main SCO meeting will take place on Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to host a welcome dinner for delegates on Tuesday. Pakistan's Foreign Office said PM Shehbaz will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

The SCO meeting will discuss ongoing cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, Pakistan's Foreign Office said. Observers believe the bloc seeks to counter Western influence in the region.

Pakistan's government has announced a three-day public holiday in Islamabad, with schools and businesses shut and large contingents of police and paramilitary forces deployed.

According to the Interior Ministry, Pakistan Army troops will be responsible for the security of the capital's Red Zone, which is also the location of the parliament and a diplomatic enclave and where most of the SCO meetings will take place.

The threat alert has been high in the South Asian nation ahead of the SCO summit, especially after the killing of two Chinese engineers on Oct. 6 and the killings of 21 miners on Oct. 11.

Sideline meetings

The sideline meetings of the summit also hold significant importance, with discussions expected on major investments.

Talks will cover investments totaling up to $11 billion from China, Russia, and other countries, according to sources in the Ministry of Finance.

They said that multi-billion-dollar contracts are expected to be signed with China, including Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for IT, agriculture, motorways, ML1, the Azad Patan hydro project, and other infrastructure agreements.

A $6.8 billion deal with China for the construction of the ML1 rail project is likely to be finalized. The project will be completed in three phases: the first phase is estimated at $2.7 billion, the second at $2.6 billion, and the third at $1.4 billion, sources said.

There is also potential for an agreement on the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, which will cost PKR400 billion. Once completed, the motorway will enable seamless travel from Peshawar to Karachi.

Ongoing talks with Chinese officials include plans for the Thakot to Raikot section of the Karakoram Highway, which could cost around $1 billion, sources added.

A $2 billion contract for the 700 MW Azad Patan hydro project is also likely to be signed. With this agreement, the project is expected to be completed by 2026. MoUs for CPEC Phase II agreements between China and Pakistan are expected, according to sources who spoke to Nukta.

Discussions with Russia will focus on railway upgrades, energy, and infrastructure, including the Quetta-Taftan railway line. Talks will also cover agricultural machinery and equipment, sources said.

Belarus is expected to enter talks on a tractor manufacturing project, with multiple MoUs likely to be signed, sources confirmed.

What is SCO?

The SCO, initially established by China and Russia, now includes ten permanent members.

The founding members, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, were later joined by Pakistan and India in June 2017.

Currently, three countries hold observer status and 14 are dialogue partners, together representing about 40% of the global population and approximately 32% of the world’s GDP. Iran and Belarus were the latest additions in 2023 and 2024.

The organization’s goals include promoting regional peace, enhancing economic and technological cooperation, and encouraging good neighborly relations. A meeting of the SCO’s Ministers of Trade and Economic Affairs will be held on September 10-11, preceding the summit.