Why it is in the news
An Indian delegation led by Alok Dimri, Joint Secretary (Multilaterals and Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is attending the three-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of National Coordinators in Islamabad that began on 28 September 2026 — the first official Indian visit to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor. Pakistan announced it will host the SCO Summit in August 2027.
The exam angle
Thesis: For India, the SCO is a forum to be managed rather than led: it offers Eurasian access and a counter-terror platform, but its China-centred economic agenda and Pakistan's presence limit what it can deliver.