Indian official attends SCO event in Pakistan: 5 broad takeaways

Indian official Alok Dimri attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) national coordinators meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, marking the first visit by an Indian delegation since Operation Sindoor last year. The meeting took place under Pakistan's presidency of the SCO Council of National Coordinators. Despite strained bilateral ties, India sent Dimri, an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs with experience in G20 and BRICS, to engage with Pakistan and China in multilateral formats.

The visit has five key takeaways. First, India is in a diplomatic tightrope, balancing its relationship with the US, which supports Pakistan, and China, Pakistan's ally, which provided military support during Operation Sindoor. India must remain vigilant, monitoring Pakistan's SCO-related activities and observing whether it displays maps showing India's territories as part of Pakistan or China in SCO documents.

Second, Pakistan is expected to invite Prime Minister Modi to the SCO leaders' summit in Pakistan next year, a potential opportunity to improve bilateral relations. However, India has not visited Pakistan since 2016, making this visit a strategic move to assess the possibility of a future trip.

Third, global conflicts in the Russia-Ukraine and US-Iran wars have diverted global attention, while the unpredictable behavior of US President Trump and his support for the Pakistan Army chief have emboldened Islamabad. India must be cautious about the potential ramifications of any future conflict with Pakistan, particularly as long as Trump remains in office until January 2029.

Fourth, Delhi will not tolerate provocative statements from Pakistan, as demonstrated by its strong responses to Pakistan's rhetoric on Kashmir and terrorism at the SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Goa and the UN General Assembly. Any Pakistani claims on Kashmir or terrorism will prompt a strong Indian reaction.

Lastly, China poses a greater challenge for India than Pakistan, with a long-standing border standoff since May 2020. Keeping tensions on both fronts under control is a strategic objective for India, and multilateral contacts often help diffuse tensions.