Diplomatic circles ‘cautiously optimistic’ as Indian FM set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday

India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is set to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Pakistan. This marks the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to the country since December 2015, when Sushma Swaraj attended the Heart of Asia Conference in Islamabad.

Jaishankar's upcoming visit comes after a prolonged period of tense relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. It potentially signals a shift in diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan. The Indian FM is set to arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday.

The SCO, a political, economic, and security alliance, provides a multilateral platform for the two nations to interact despite their bilateral differences.

This rare high-level contact between the two countries has drawn attention from regional observers, who see it as a possible opening for renewed dialogue. However, both sides have downplayed expectations of any bilateral discussions during the visit.

No sideline meetings planned

The likelihood of a bilateral meeting between Indian and Pakistani officials on the sidelines of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit appears low.

Jaishankar stated during a press briefing earlier that his visit to Pakistan is "strictly for attending a multilateral event, not to discuss India-Pakistan relations."

Pakistan's Foreign Office echoed this sentiment during its weekly media briefing. While reiterating Pakistan's readiness to welcome all SCO members as the host country, the spokesperson addressed questions about potential sideline meetings by referring to Jaishankar's statement, calling it "self-explanatory."

Cautious optimism

Former Pakistani diplomat Jalil Abbas Jillani views the visit positively. "It is an important regional event organized by Pakistan, and the leaders will discuss greater economic cooperation, interconnectivity projects, terrorism and related security issues," Jillani said. "We hope that India will positively contribute to the deliberations of the SCO Summit."

Jillani emphasized the importance of backchannel communication between the two countries in the absence of formal dialogue. "I feel that in the absence of formal dialogue, backchannel interaction between the two countries is of significant importance to avoid misunderstandings and misreading of the situation," he said.

However, he expressed uncertainty about the existence of such a mechanism at present.

Pakistan's Foreign Office has stated its readiness to welcome all SCO members, with the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister assuring that Pakistan will extend full respect, courtesies, and protocol to all honored guests.