ISLAMABAD (Khyber Mail): Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar expressed his gratitude to Pakistan’s leadership for their hospitality during his visit to Islamabad for the 23rd Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), held on October 15-16.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) before his departure, Jaishankar wrote, “Departing from Islamabad. Thank PM (@CMShehbaz), DPM & FM (@MIshaqDar50) and the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality and courtesies.”
Jaishankar was among several high-ranking officials from SCO member states attending the summit, marking his visit as the first by an Indian minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years. The last such visit occurred in 2015, when then-Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended a conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad.
This high-level engagement comes at a time of ongoing diplomatic complexity between the two neighbors, and Jaishankar’s visit was closely watched for its symbolic significance. The Indian minister’s acknowledgment of Pakistan’s hospitality highlights the continued importance of multilateral forums like the SCO in fostering regional cooperation, despite bilateral challenges.