Indian SCO coordinator exchanges warm handshake with Ishaq Dar despite recent diplomatic sparring between Islamabad and New Delhi at UN General Assembly
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India displayed a notably cordial tone during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Islamabad, despite the two countries having recently exchanged sharp diplomatic criticism at the United Nations General Assembly.
Alok Dimri, India’s National Coordinator for the SCO and an additional secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs, attended the first meeting of the SCO Council of National Coordinators held under Pakistan’s chairmanship of the organisation.
The three-day gathering concluded on Wednesday, with participating national coordinators meeting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A video released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office showed Dimri greeting Dar with a handshake. The Indian official was later seen standing between Dar and Pakistan’s SCO National Coordinator Dr Muhammad Faisal.
The cordial interaction stood in contrast to the recent public exchanges between the two countries at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had accused Pakistan of being a “serial practitioner of terrorism” while responding to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UNGA address. Pakistan rejected the Indian allegations and reiterated its positions concerning the Kashmir dispute and the 2025 military confrontation between the two countries.
Indian Official Welcomes First Visit to Pakistan
During his visit, Dimri told Pakistan Television that he was pleased to be making his first trip to Pakistan and expressed interest in visiting other cities, including Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot.
He also referred to Lahore’s designation as an SCO cultural city, noting that Pakistan’s year-long chairmanship could provide opportunities for the Indian delegation to participate in cultural activities.
Dimri highlighted connectivity, trade, transit and regional prosperity while discussing the SCO’s wider agenda.
Multilateral Engagement Continues Despite Bilateral Tensions
India’s participation in the Islamabad meeting highlights the continuation of engagement between the two countries within the SCO framework despite strained bilateral relations.
New Delhi has maintained that bilateral engagement with Pakistan requires what it considers a conducive environment, while continuing to participate in multilateral activities conducted under the SCO.
The Islamabad interaction does not in itself indicate a change in the two governments’ respective bilateral positions. It does, however, demonstrate that both countries continue to engage within established multilateral forums even amid continuing political and diplomatic disagreements.
