Musadik Malik SCO forum visit: Pakistan names climate minister for Delhi dialogue on 20 to 22 November
India had first invited Pakistan's culture minister, so the choice of a climate minister for a cultural forum stands out.
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The Musadik Malik SCO forum visit is confirmed: Pakistan said on Saturday, 14 November, that its Climate Change Minister will attend the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum in Delhi from 20 to 22 November, according to a PTI report carried by ThePrint. The forum will be held at the Purana Qila, and Pakistan’s decision accepts India’s invitation to the inaugural edition.
Musadik Malik SCO forum: who is attending
The Tribune identified the minister as Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. India had first invited Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, as the Daily Pioneer reported on 28 October, so the choice of a climate minister stands out for a cultural forum. India invited culture ministers from all 10 SCO member states.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the guest list
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday that 15 countries, including China, Iran and Kazakhstan, had confirmed participation. He said he was hopeful that Pakistan would also attend.
Key numbers
- 20 to 22 November: dates of the forum at the Purana Qila, per ThePrint.
- 10: SCO member states invited to send culture ministers, according to the October invitation report.
- 15: countries that had confirmed participation by Friday, per the Culture Minister.
- 26: people killed in the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, which froze ties, as The Tribune noted.
Background: strained ties after Pahalgam
Ties between the two countries have been strained since the Pahalgam attack. India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May 2025, and a ceasefire understanding followed on 10 May. India later suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and Pakistan suspended trade and closed its airspace to Indian aircraft, The Tribune reported.
The 28 October report added that no Pakistani minister has visited India since May 2023, when Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari came to Goa for an SCO foreign ministers’ meeting. NIS covered a recent MEA statement on a Punjab chief minister’s Lahore visit, where the ministry cited the same Pahalgam attack.
SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum: What is at stake
Pakistan holds the 2026-27 SCO chairmanship and will host the heads of state summit in Islamabad in August 2027. Modi proposed the forum at the SCO summit in Tianjin in September 2025. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in October that India’s Pakistan policy after Pahalgam remains in place with no change.
What happens next
The Musadik Malik SCO forum visit begins on 20 November. Modi is expected to inaugurate the forum, that October report said, and whether Malik meets Indian officials on the sidelines has not been announced.
The SCO is one of the few platforms where India and Pakistan still meet officially, so who attends and what is said on the sidelines will be read as a signal. Pakistan chairs the SCO this year and hosts the August 2027 summit, which makes the Delhi visit a rehearsal for that meeting. India says its Pakistan policy has not changed.