The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad in December 2015 to attend a conference on Afghanistan.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met in Islamabad on Tuesday. The leaders shook hands and exchanged greetings during an informal dinner hosted by Sharif. Jaishankar is in Islamabad for the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
It is for the first time in nearly nine years that an Indian foreign minister has visited Pakistan, even as the ties between the two neighbours remain frosty over cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad in December 2015 to attend a conference on Afghanistan.
In August, Pakistan invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the SCO summit.
Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan assumes significance as it is seen as a significant decision on New Delhi’s part.