Pakistan signals invitation to PM Modi for SCO Summit 2027 in Islamabad, says ‘this is an obligation on….’

Pakistan has signalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to attend the 2027 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Islamabad, stressing that invitations will be extended to every member nation in accordance with the bloc's established protocol.

The clarification came after a journalist asked whether PM Modi would receive an invitation to next year's high-level summit. The announcement comes amid continued tensions in India-Pakistan relations following a brief but intense military confrontation in May 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack.

“All member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will be invited at the level of the Heads of State or Government, should they wish to attend at the level of the Head of Government,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, said in a statement.

“Invitations will obviously be extended, and this is an obligation on the part of Pakistan as the host. We will invite all Heads of States and Government to the Summit meeting,” it added.

Jaishankar sought meeting with Pakistan?

The ministry was also asked whether External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had sought a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, during the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on the sidelines of the ASEAN framework.

Responding to the query, Pakistan's ministry stated it was not aware of any request from India for a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila and declined to comment further.

“I am not aware of any meeting request from India on the sidelines of the ARF in Manila. I cannot comment,” the Pakistan ministry mentioned.

India-Pakistan relations

Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated sharply after major terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Uri attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. In response, India carried out cross-border military operations, including surgical strikes in 2016 and airstrikes in Balakot in 2019.

India and Pakistan have not held sustained bilateral talks since New Delhi suspended the composite dialogue following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed. India said the attacks were carried out by the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Over the years, both countries have made intermittent attempts to revive diplomatic engagement, but these efforts have repeatedly been disrupted by terror attacks that India has attributed to Pakistan-based groups.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack last year, India announced a series of punitive diplomatic and economic measures, including four days of military strikes targeting what it described as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, and suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

About SCO

The SCO evolved from the Shanghai Five, a grouping established in 1996 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. In June 2001, the five countries, along with Uzbekistan, formally launched the SCO in Shanghai to strengthen political, economic and security cooperation.

The organisation expanded in June 2017 with the admission of India and Pakistan as full members. Iran joined in July 2023, followed by Belarus in July 2024. In addition to its full members, the SCO also includes several observer states and dialogue partners. Its latest summit was held in Tianjin, China, in September 2025.

The SCO's highest decision-making body is the Heads of State Council (HSC), which convenes annually. The organisation also operates the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), a mechanism focused on enhancing cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism.