First Such Invitation Since Operation Sindoor... India Invites Pakistan Minister

India has invited Pakistan to attend the inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), scheduled to take place in New Delhi from November 20 to 22. The invitation comes amid strained India-Pakistan relations following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. India has extended invitations to all 10 SCO member states, including Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi. If he attends, it would mark the first visit by a Pakistani minister to India since May 2023, when then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari travelled to Goa for an SCO meeting.

The forum aims to strengthen cultural ties and promote mutual understanding among SCO member countries. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced India’s plan to host the event on October 20 while addressing the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the initiative at the SCO summit in Tianjin in 2025. The forum is expected to provide a platform for discussions on shared civilisational heritage, art, literature and traditions. Pakistan has not yet confirmed whether its minister will attend.