Srinagar, Sept 4 (KNS): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan in mid-October to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave, marking the first such visit by an Indian foreign minister in nine years. The announcement was made by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

The last Indian external affairs minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj, who traveled to Islamabad in December 2015 for a conference on Afghanistan.

Pakistan is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting on October 15-16, and Jaishankar will lead India's delegation to the summit.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelJaiswal clarified that the visit is strictly for participation in the SCO event.

Jaishankar's visit comes after Pakistan extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the SCO summit earlier in August. The decision for the minister to travel to Pakistan is seen as a significant diplomatic move by New Delhi. (KNS)