Pakistan receives India’s invitation to SCO Summit in New Delhi: FO

Pakistan has received an invitation from India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in New Delhi, but the final decision on participation will be taken by Pakistan’s leadership after institutional consultations, it said on Friday.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan confirmed the development at a weekly press briefing and said the summit is scheduled to be held in the Indian capital from November 20 to 22. He also considered the possibility of Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s visit to Pakistan and said permission for such a visit rests with the Indian government. He added that Islamabad does not impose any visa restrictions on Indian nationals. Sikh Pilgrims and Kartarpur Corridor

Responding to a question about the chief minister of India’s Punjab state reportedly expressing interest in visiting Pakistan, the spokesperson highlighted Islamabad’s efforts to promote religious travel between the two countries.

He said Pakistan had issued visas to an additional 4,000 Sikh pilgrims in the first six months of 2026. In 2025, Pakistan issued 9,318 visas to Indian pilgrims and 9,000 Sikh and 248 Hindu pilgrims visited Pakistan.

However, India has suspended the movement of pilgrims through the Kartarpur corridor from May 2025, the spokesperson said. He said Pakistan is ready to welcome and facilitate Sikh pilgrims as soon as India lifts restrictions. Islamabad was also looking forward to hosting Sikh pilgrims for the celebrations marking the 557th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Initiatives for regional peace

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also discussed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts towards promoting stability in the region, particularly Pakistan’s role in promoting dialogue between Iran and the US. He said Pakistan played the role of an honest mediator in the Iran-US conflict by bringing the two countries, who had not directly negotiated for 47 years, to the negotiating table under one roof.

He added that Pakistan will continue its efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, stressing that peace in the region is in the interest of Pakistan, neighboring countries and people outside the region. Mr. Khan also announced that Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmoud (retd.), secretary-general of the Mecca-based Joint Defense Alliance, would soon take up his post in Riyadh.

UN resolutions on arms control

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said that Pakistan’s draft resolution on conventional arms control was adopted by the United Nations with 180 votes. He said the resolution called for restraint, balance and dialogue to reduce the risks associated with regional conflicts.

Khan said India and Israel were the only countries to vote against the resolution. He said their opposition raises serious questions about the seriousness of their commitment to international peace and stability, adding that the negative voices reflect a mindset that he calls destabilizing in the region.