S Jaishankar’s Islamabad Visit: SCO Summit

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar started his day in Islamabad for the SCO Summit with a morning walk alongside Indian diplomats and planting a sapling at the Indian High Commission.
Jaishankar became the first Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Pakistan in nine years for the SCO Summit.
He attended an informal dinner with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, but no bilateral talks are scheduled with his Pakistani counterpart due to strained ties.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s day in Islamabad began on a peaceful note ahead of the SCO Summit. He took a morning walk with Indian diplomats within the Indian High Commission grounds and planted an Arjuna sapling to signify a commitment to environmental causes. In a picture shared on Twitter, Jaishankar was seen wearing a full-sleeved bottle-green t-shirt and track pants. He tweeted, “A morning walk together with colleagues of Team @IndiainPakistan at our High Commission campus.”

Jaishankar also posted about planting the sapling, writing, “An Arjuna sapling at @IndiainPakistan premises is another commitment to #Plant4Mother.” He emphasized that this gesture reflects his commitment to environmental sustainability.

Jaishankar is leading India’s delegation at the SCO Summit, becoming the first Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Pakistan in nine years. On Tuesday, he attended an informal dinner hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The two leaders shook hands and exchanged greetings, but no bilateral talks are planned.

Ties between India and Pakistan remain strained over cross-border terrorism, which has prevented any diplomatic dialogue. India has reiterated that talks and terrorism cannot go hand in hand, so no bilateral discussions are scheduled during the summit.

The summit will see participation from leaders such as Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Belarus PM Roman Golovchenko, Kazakhstan’s PM Olzhas Bektenov, Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin, and other prominent officials.