External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to travel to Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Islamabad on October 15-16. India confirmed on August 30 that it received an invitation from Pakistan for the upcoming SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting.

Pakistan, currently holding the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), will host this two-day in-person summit. In the lead-up to the summit, a ministerial meeting and multiple rounds of senior officials' discussions will focus on financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among SCO member states.

Founded in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the SCO welcomed India and Pakistan as permanent members in 2017. Last year, Iran also became a permanent member during an India-hosted virtual summit.

As a significant economic and security bloc, the SCO has evolved into one of the largest trans-regional international organizations. India hosted the SCO Summit last year, which was attended by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif via video link.