Skip to Main content

22.99°^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

daytime-knife-point-robbery-at-surrey-jewelry-store-under-investigation

Daytime knife-point robbery at Surrey jewelry store under investigation

Surrey Police Service is investigating a daytime robbery at a jewelry store located in the Payal Business Centre in Surrey. Police say the suspect fled after stealing jewelry during the incident, which took place in the middle of the day. According to SPS media relations officer Staff Sgt. Ali Gales, officers were called to the area near 128 Street and 81 Avenue at approximately 11:30 a.m. Wednesday following reports of a robbery at the business. Police said the suspect allegedly stole several pieces of jewelry from the store before fleeing the scene. Reports indicate jewelry being worn by the

immigration-measures-tied-to-ebola-outbreak-could-suspend-more-than-24-000-travel-documents

CanadaMay 28, 2026

Immigration measures tied to Ebola outbreak could suspend more than 24,000 travel documents

The federal immigration department says more than 24,000 immigration and travel documents could be suspended under new emergency measures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola into Canada. The federal government announced a 90-day suspension on several immigration-related documents for individuals currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The measures took effect shortly before midnight, according to federal officials. Affected documents include electronic travel authorizations, temporary resident visas and permanent resident visas for applicants currently lo

IndiaMay 27, 2026

Air India to reduce domestic flights by up to 22% amid rising fuel costs

Air India says it will temporarily reduce the number of its domestic flights by 20 to 22 per cent as the airline faces increasing aviation fuel prices and higher operating costs. The airline said it has already reduced some international flight operations by nearly 27 per cent as part of broader cost-management measures. According to the company, the decision was taken due to sustained high fuel prices, which have increased the cost of operating flights across several routes. In a statement issued Wednesday, Air India said flight frequencies on selected domestic and international routes will b

canada-to-release-long-awaited-national-ai-strategy-next-week-carney

CanadaMay 27, 2026

Canada to release long-awaited National AI Strategy next week: Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Wednesday that the federal government’s long-awaited National AI Strategy will be released next week. Speaking to reporters while heading into a Liberal caucus meeting, Carney said the strategy will outline Ottawa’s long-term plans for artificial intelligence policy and regulation in Canada. The federal government had previously identified six pillars that will form the foundation of the strategy in its economic update. According to government officials, the plan will include measures aimed at protecting Canadians from the risks associated with artifici

B.C. LNG project signs long-term supply agreement with German energy company

A long-term agreement has been signed to supply liquefied natural gas from the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG export terminal in northern British Columbia to Germany, according to an announcement made Wednesday by federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson in Vancouver. Hodgson said Germany-based energy company SEFE has agreed to purchase one million tonnes of LNG annually over a 20-year period. Supply from the project is expected to begin around 2030, pending construction and final investment approval. The Ksi Lisims LNG project is planned for British Columbia’s north coast near the Alaska border. While

Related News

Iran releases 10 Indian sailors held since July 2025, India says

Iran releases 10 Indian sailors held since July 2025, India says

Iran has released 10 Indian sailors who had been detained since July 2025 following what Indian shipping authorities described as “sustained diplomatic efforts” by India. According to Indian shipping officials, the crew members were aboard the oil tanker MV Harbour Phoenix when the vessel was intercepted by Iranian authorities near Jask Port last year. Officials said the sailors and the vessel were taken into custody before the crew members were later jailed. Indian authorities said the sailors have now been released and arrangements are being made for their return to India at the earliest

Gaza strike kills senior Hamas military commander, Israeli military says

Gaza strike kills senior Hamas military commander, Israeli military says

A strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday killed Mohammed Odeh, a commander linked to Hamas’s military wing, according to the Israeli military and local family members. Local doctors and witnesses said at least three Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured after a residential building in Gaza City was struck in one of the city’s busiest neighbourhoods. In a statement, the Israeli military said the operation targeted buildings allegedly being used by Odeh as hiding locations. Israeli officials said the strike followed months of intelligence monitoring and tracking of Odeh’s movements

Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon kills 12 ahead of planned U.S. talks

Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon kills 12 ahead of planned U.S. talks

An Israeli airstrike on a village in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people overnight, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. The strike targeted an area in the Bekaa Valley late Monday as Israel intensified attacks against Hezbollah positions across southern and eastern Lebanon. The Israeli military did not comment directly on the reported deaths but said Monday it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in eastern Lebanon. Rescue workers recovered a dozen bodies from the rubble following what Lebanese officials described as a wave of overnight airstrikes. The identities of those k

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital