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Why it matters
It is the first planned ministerial visit between the two countries since the May 2025 military confrontation, and it comes before Pakistan hosts the SCO leaders' summit next year. The forum is limited to culture and heritage, so the reports read do not point to talks on other issues.
A Pakistan minister visit to India is now planned: Islamabad will send its climate change minister, Musadik Masood Malik, to New Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue from 20 to 22 November 2026, its Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, 14 November. If the trip goes ahead, it will be the first visit to India by a Pakistani minister in more than three years, The Hindu and the Hindustan Times reported.
The SCO is a regional group of 10 member countries across Eurasia, including China, Russia, India and Pakistan. The SCO Civilisational Dialogue in Delhi is about culture and heritage, the Indian Express and Hindustan Times reports show.
What Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said about the Pakistan minister visit
In its statement, quoted by the Indian Express, the ministry said it had nominated Musadik Masood Malik, the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, to represent Pakistan. It said the event would bring SCO member states together to exchange views on civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding.
The statement also said Pakistan remained committed to people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect, the Indian Express and The Hindu reported. The Hindu’s report carried inputs from Reuters.
The Hindustan Times described the visit as likely, since the minister has been nominated but has not yet travelled.
India invited a different minister
India’s invitation went to Pakistan’s Culture and National Heritage minister, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, the Indian Express reported. Islamabad has nominated its climate minister instead. The reports read did not say why.
The Indian Express said this was the first invitation to a senior Pakistani minister since the military confrontation of May 2025 under Operation Sindoor. India had to invite every SCO member because it offered to host the forum, the paper added, and Pakistan is due to host the SCO leaders’ summit next year.
On Friday, 13 November, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said he was hopeful Pakistan would take part. He said Pakistan’s civilisation and culture had developed alongside India’s, the Hindustan Times reported. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said several countries, including SCO members, had been invited and that India looked forward to hosting the dialogue, according to the news agency ANI as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
India-Pakistan ministerial contact: the timeline
NewsPlainly put these dates together from the three reports read.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 2023 | Then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visits Goa for an SCO foreign ministers’ meeting, the last visit by a Pakistani minister |
| April 2025 | Attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, kills 26 civilians (Hindustan Times) |
| May 2025 | India’s military action under Operation Sindoor; the Hindustan Times says the face-off ended with a ceasefire on 9 May |
| September 2025 | PM Narendra Modi proposes the civilisational forum at the SCO summit in Tianjin (Indian Express) |
| 20 October 2026 | Rajnath Singh announces in Dushanbe that India will host it |
| 14 November 2026 | Pakistan names Musadik Masood Malik for the Delhi forum |
| 20 to 22 November 2026 | Forum in New Delhi |
By NewsPlainly’s count, May 2023 to November 2026 is about 42 months, or three and a half years, without a Pakistani minister in India.
What happens at the SCO Civilisational Dialogue in Delhi
The forum will be held at Purana Qila, the old fort in Delhi, according to the Indian Express. The Prime Minister will attend the opening on 20 November, and four sessions will follow on cultural expression, art and architecture, and language, literature and manuscripts, Shekhawat said.
China, Kazakhstan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Sri Lanka had already confirmed they will attend, the Indian Express reported. India has also invited the SCO’s dialogue partners and observer countries, the Hindustan Times said.
NewsPlainly reported India’s invitation to Pakistan earlier: SCO dialogue: Pakistan minister invited to 10-nation Delhi forum. Pakistan’s reply came a day after Shekhawat’s remarks. The reports read did not include any comment from India’s government on the choice of Musadik Masood Malik in place of the invited culture minister.
Frequently asked questions
Which Pakistani minister is visiting India?
Musadik Masood Malik, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, nominated on 14 November 2026 for the SCO forum in Delhi.
When did a Pakistani minister last visit India?
In May 2023, when then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended an SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Goa.
Where is the SCO Civilisational Dialogue being held?
At Purana Qila in New Delhi, from 20 to 22 November 2026, the Indian Express reported.