Pakistan Participates in SCO Foreign Ministers’ Summit Amid Delhi-Islamabad Strains

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) summit in Tianjin, China, on July 14–15, 2025, amid ongoing tensions with India over Kashmir and alleged cross-border terrorism. The summit aims to advance regional cooperation, but the absence of bilateral talks between Pakistan and India highlights their strained relations. This article explores Pakistan’s role in the SCO and the impact of these disputes.

The SCO, a ten-nation alliance that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran, promotes cooperation in security, economic development, and political coordination. Dar’s participation, confirmed by Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO), underscores Islamabad’s efforts to strengthen ties with key allies like China and Russia amid frosty relations with India. FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that no bilateral meeting with the Indian side is scheduled, reflecting the lack of dialogue with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is also attending according to posts on X (formerly Twitter).

This diplomatic freeze follows India’s refusal to sign the joint SCO statement in June 2025 because it omitted mention of the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blames Pakistan-backed militants for the attack, which killed 26 civilians, a claim Islamabad rejects.

Tensions escalated after a May 2025 India-Pakistan military clash triggered by the Pahalgam incident. At the SCO defense ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused Pakistan of using “cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy” and urged the SCO to hold such nations accountable. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif countered that India’s refusal to endorse the joint statement isolated New Delhi and claimed support from other SCO members. Asif said all countries supported Pakistan, highlighting what Islamabad framed as a diplomatic victory.

The SCO summit provides Pakistan a platform to advance its regional agenda, including counter-terrorism and economic connectivity, while managing India’s accusations. As Dar meets counterparts from China and Russia, the lack of India-Pakistan dialogue risks undermining SCO unity. With the upcoming Council of Heads of State (CHS) meeting scheduled for August 31 to September 1, 2025, the ongoing rift between Delhi and Islamabad threatens to overshadow broader regional goals and raise questions about stability.