Skip to Main content

12.16°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Sports Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Oct 4, 2024 1:13 PM - Connect Newsroom - Mandeep Kaur

Jaishankar to visit Pakistan for SCO Summit, first Indian ministerial visit in nine years

Share On

indias-foreign-minister-s-jaishankar-will-go-to-pakistan

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Pakistan to attend the SCO Summit on October 15–16. (Photo: Facebook/Dr S. Jaishankar)

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will travel to Pakistan next week to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit scheduled for October 15–16, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Friday. This will mark the first visit by an Indian minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Jaishankar will represent India at the regional meeting, which brings together foreign ministers and heads of state from member countries to discuss security, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity.

Pakistan had formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the summit on August 29, extending the same invitation to all SCO member nations. However, India has decided that Jaishankar will lead its delegation.

The last high-level Indian visit to Pakistan took place in 2015, when Prime Minister Modi made an unannounced stop in Lahore to meet then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Later that year, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also visited Islamabad for the Heart of Asia conference. No Indian minister has visited Pakistan since then.

The upcoming summit is being closely watched in diplomatic circles, as tensions between the two neighbours remain high despite both sides participating in multilateral forums such as the SCO.

Latest news

surrey-mayor-doug-mccallum-reacts-to-skytrain-extension-promises-for-newton

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum Reacts to SkyTrain Extension Promises for Newton

Newly elected Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum has strongly reacted to announcements by two major provincial parties regarding the proposed SkyTrain extension to the Newton area. In a statement issued by McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition, the party said the B.C. Conservatives have made a firm commitment to deliver the SkyTrain project to Newton Town Centre, while the B.C. NDP has offered only to hold another meeting on the issue. McCallum said the project is particularly important for Newton, Surrey’s largest community, which has a population larger than that of many cities but still lacks rapid

Both NDP and Conservatives make same SkyTrain election promise for Surrey, B.C

Both the B.C. NDP and B.C. Conservative Party have promised to extend SkyTrain service to Surrey’s Newton Town Centre as part of their election campaigns. NDP Leader David Eby said that if his party returns to power, it will work with Surrey’s newly elected mayor, Doug McCallum, to extend SkyTrain along the King George Boulevard corridor to Newton. Eby said Surrey has received $12 billion in funding for major projects under the NDP government, more than any other community. He also accused the B.C. Conservatives of making unrealistic promises without a clear plan to deliver them. Meanwhile

air-canada-phone-bookings-get-more-expensive-with-an-extra-30-fee-per-passenger

CanadaOct 20, 2026

Air Canada Phone Bookings Get More Expensive, With an Extra $30 Fee Per Passenger

Air Canada has introduced a new non-refundable fee of $30 for each passenger when booking tickets through the airline’s telephone call centre. The charge is applied per passenger, meaning a family of four booking a flight through the call centre will have to pay an additional $120. However, the fee does not apply to bookings made through the airline’s website or mobile app. Air Canada said the move is intended to allow call centre agents to focus on passengers who need personalized assistance with reservations, travel disruptions or other travel-related issues. The airline clarified that t

harman-bhangu-expresses-disappointment-over-court-ruling-in-elderly-couples-murder-case

Harman Bhangu Expresses Disappointment Over Court Ruling in Elderly Couple’s Murder Case

B.C. Conservative Leader Harman Bhangu has expressed disappointment over a B.C. Supreme Court ruling declaring unconstitutional a Criminal Code provision that prevents offenders from receiving parole earlier than otherwise permitted in connection with the murder of an elderly couple in his Abbotsford riding. Bhangu said 77-year-old Arnold De Jong and his 76-year-old wife, Joanne De Jong, were brutally murdered after being tied up and assaulted inside their own home. Three young men responsible for the crime have been convicted of first-degree murder. However, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brenda

CanadaOct 20, 2026

Canada’s Economic Growth Forecast Cut Amid U.S. Tariffs, Budget Deficit Expected to Rise

Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has lowered its economic growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027, citing the impact of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Canada’s retaliatory measures. According to the federal budget watchdog’s latest report, Canada’s real GDP is expected to grow by 0.9 per cent in 2026 and 1.5 per cent in 2027. The PBO had previously forecast growth of 1.1 per cent for 2026 and 1.6 per cent for 2027 in June. The report also projects an increase in Canada’s budget deficit following the breakdown of trade negotiations between Canada and the Unit

Related News

Landmine Blast, Gunfire Kill 15 in Nigeria, Including 10 Soldiers

Landmine Blast, Gunfire Kill 15 in Nigeria, Including 10 Soldiers

At least 15 people, including 10 Nigerian soldiers, were killed in a landmine explosion and gunfire targeting a military convoy in Borno State, Nigeria. The victims also included five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force. Six soldiers were injured in the attack and were taken to hospital. According to reports, soldiers from a battalion in Gamboru were patrolling a road between Gamboru Ngala and neighbouring Cameroon on Saturday when a pickup truck struck a landmine suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram militants. Eight soldiers travelling in the vehicle were killed on the spot. The

Russian Drone Attacks Kill Three in Ukraine, Disrupt Power Supply to 370,000 People

Russian Drone Attacks Kill Three in Ukraine, Disrupt Power Supply to 370,000 People

Russian drone attacks in Ukraine early Friday killed around three people and injured several others. Two shopping centres were also targeted, while strikes on the energy grid disrupted electricity supplies to approximately 370,000 people in the country’s northwestern region. Two people were killed and 12 others injured in attacks on three districts of Kharkiv, according to local reports. In the Volyn region, near the Polish border, a drone strike on a food-processing factory killed one person and injured eight others. Authorities began restoration work on the damaged power infrastructure, an

Canadian Fisheries Minister to Visit China Amid Uncertainty Over Seafood Tariffs

Canadian Fisheries Minister to Visit China Amid Uncertainty Over Seafood Tariffs

Canadian Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson will visit China later this month, her office confirmed Thursday, as a deadline approaches for Chinese tariffs affecting Canada’s lobster and crab industries. China imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Canadian seafood in 2025 in retaliation for Canada’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. However, during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to China in January this year, the two countries reached an agreement under which Beijing temporarily suspended the additional tariffs until December 31, 2026. With the deadline a

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation

BC Children's Hospital