Sushma Swaraj was the latest Indian minister of foreign affairs to visit Pakistan. In December 2015, she had gone to an Afghanistan conference in Islamabad.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan in mid-October to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference, the country said on Friday.
Spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, made the news.
Sushma Swaraj was the latest Indian minister of foreign affairs to visit Pakistan. In December 2015, she had gone to an Afghanistan conference in Islamabad.
On October 15 and 16, Pakistan will host the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting.
"The external affairs minister will lead our delegation to Pakistan for membership in the SCO summit which will be scheduled in Islamabad on October 15 and 16," Mr Jaiswal said at his weekly media conference.
The minister of foreign affairs is solely visiting Pakistan to attend the SCO meeting, the spokeswoman made clear.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited by Pakistan attend the SCO conference in August.
Given that it is seen to be a significant move on the side of New Delhi, Mr. Jaishankar's travel to Pakistan gains importance.
The senior minister's decision to go is seen as an expression of India's dedication to the SCO, which has been instrumental in fostering regional security cooperation.
Following the Pulwama terror incident in February 2019, India's airplanes struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training center in Balakot, Pakistan, severely straining relations between the two countries.
After India stated on August 5, 2019, that it was splitting the state into two union territories and withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special powers, the relationship between the two countries further worsened.
India has always said that it wants to have regular neighborly ties with Pakistan, but it also insists that Islamabad must establish an atmosphere free from hatred and terror in order for these contacts to take place.
The second-highest forum within the organization is the SCO Council of Heads of Government Conclave.
The Indian prime minister often attends the highest-level conference within the organization, the SCO heads of state summit.
One of the biggest transregional international organizations, the SCO is a prominent economic and security group made up of India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The SCO was chaired by India the previous year. In July of last year, it held the virtual SCO summit.
India first joined the SCO in 2005 as an observer nation. At the 2017 Astana summit, it was admitted as a full member of the SCO.
India has shown a strong desire to expand security cooperation with the SCO and its Local Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which focuses on defense and security-related matters.
At a Shanghai summit in 2001, the heads of state of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as the Kyrgyz Republic established the SCO.
Along with India, Pakistan joined as a permanent member in 2017.
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