Pakistan Names Musadik Malik for SCO Civilisational Dialogue
Pakistan has named Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik to represent the country at the SCO Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, the Foreign Office said on Saturday.
The Foreign Office said the gathering would bring representatives from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation together to discuss civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding.
“The government of Pakistan remains committed to promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect,” the statement said.
The nomination answers an invitation from India, which is hosting the first forum of its kind. Indian Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday that New Delhi had invited all member and partner countries, and expressed hope that Pakistan would take part.
“Pakistan’s civilisation and cultural evolution are no different from ours,” Shekhawat told reporters, according to Indian media. He said 15 of the 25 invited countries had confirmed their attendance, including China, Kazakhstan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Sri Lanka.
What the SCO Civilisational Dialogue will cover
The three-day forum will be held at Purana Qila, the 16th-century fort in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the event on November 20, with working sessions on November 21 and 22.
The programme is built around four themes: art and architecture; civilisational and cultural expressions; language, literature and manuscript traditions; and monastic trails. The idea was proposed by Modi at the SCO summit in Tianjin in 2025, and member states later endorsed it.
The SCO has 10 member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, while Iran joined in 2023.
Why the visit matters for Pakistan
The visit carries weight beyond culture. Pakistan holds the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the 2026-27 term, which it assumed on September 1, succeeding Kyrgyzstan after the grouping’s summit in Bishkek.
The forum is a multilateral event, not a bilateral meeting, and it comes at a time when relations between Pakistan and India remain strained. A Pakistani minister attending an event in New Delhi under the SCO umbrella keeps a channel open that politics alone has not provided.
For readers in Pakistan, the chairmanship is the practical point. Islamabad will set the tone for the grouping’s work through 2027, and the New Delhi forum is the first major SCO gathering of that term. Pakistan’s presence there signals that it intends to use the chair to keep cultural and civilisational exchanges on the agenda, even while harder questions between the two neighbours stay unresolved.
The Foreign Office gave no further details of Malik’s programme in New Delhi. More details are expected as the forum approaches.
Pakistan’s multilateral calendar has been busy. Islamabad has urged de-escalation in the Gulf at the United Nations, agreed an economic partnership with the United Kingdom, and watched as Trump, Xi and Putin prepared for a historic meeting in China. Turkiye and Qatar have also signed a new defence agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Who will represent Pakistan at the forum?
Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik will represent Pakistan at the SCO Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi.
When and where will the forum be held?
The forum will run from November 20 to 22 at Purana Qila in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate it.
What will the forum discuss?
It will cover four themes: art and architecture; civilisational and cultural expressions; language, literature and manuscript traditions; and monastic trails.
How many countries are taking part?
India invited 25 countries, and 15 had confirmed their attendance, including China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
What is the SCO?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a 10-member Eurasian grouping. Pakistan and India joined as full members in 2017, and Pakistan holds its rotating chairmanship for 2026-27.
