Islamabad: Pakistan on Saturday announced that its Climate Change Minister, Musadik Malik, would participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue in India later this month.
The meeting, involving representatives of SCO member states, will be held in New Delhi from November 20 to 22.
India had announced on October 28 that invitations had been extended to all SCO members in keeping with established practice.
According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, the event will bring together representatives of member states to discuss issues related to civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding.
"The government of Pakistan remains committed to promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect," the statement said.
Musadik Malik is a prominent member of the Pakistani government and frequently appears on television talk shows to present the government's position on various issues.
His participation in the India-hosted event comes amid strained relations between the two countries and ahead of Pakistan's hosting of the SCO summit next year. However, his visit alone does not establish any broader move towards easing bilateral tensions.
Relations between India and Pakistan have remained strained since the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, and India's subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The military confrontation lasted four days and ended on May 10 following an understanding between military officials of the two countries.
India has consistently raised the issue of cross-border terrorism at the SCO, maintaining that the grouping must adopt a united approach against terrorism and its financing, without double standards.
The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and security grouping comprising 10 countries: India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Belarus.
In October 2024, Islamabad hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, which External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended on behalf of India.
India last month sent its SCO National Coordinator, Alok Dimri, to Islamabad for a preparatory meeting for the next SCO Council of Heads of State.