India Invites Pakistan Minister to SCO Forum in Delhi

India has invited Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, to the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Civilisational Dialogue Forum, scheduled for November 20-22 in New Delhi. Pakistan has not confirmed whether he will attend, according to Indian officials and diplomatic sources cited in reports published October 27 and 28. The forum is expected to bring together representatives from the SCO’s 10 member states, as well as observer and dialogue partner countries. More than 25 countries are expected to be represented, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the gathering at Purana Qila, and India’s ministries of Culture and External Affairs are jointly organising it. Officials described the invitation as part of the SCO’s multilateral initiative, not a change in India’s bilateral approach to Pakistan. The countries’ relations remain strained, and the invitation alone does not establish a shift in their bilateral ties. The forum’s stated focus is shared heritage, cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchange; one account also lists education and traditional knowledge systems among the discussion topics....