Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday, marking the first visit of its kind in nearly ten years for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) governments, with the capital city under strict security measures.

Jaishankar joined nearly a dozen leaders at the gathering in Islamabad, which is set to culminate in a main event on Wednesday. This visit is significant as it has been almost a decade since a foreign minister from India, Pakistan’s long-standing rival, has traveled to the country, reflecting the ongoing tensions between the two nuclear nations.

Both countries have indicated that no bilateral discussions are scheduled. The SCO meeting, a political and security alliance established in 2001 by Russia and China, represents the most prominent event hosted by Pakistan in recent years. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is already in attendance, along with seven other prime ministers from member and observer states, including Russia’s Mikhail Mishustin, who are also expected to participate in person.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) also comprises Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. On Tuesday, the prime ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan—Akylbek Zhaparov, Qohir Rasulzoda, and Olzhas Bektenov—arrived for the event. Additionally, the prime ministers of Belarus and Mongolia were anticipated to attend.

The primary SCO meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to host a welcome dinner on Tuesday. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Sharif will also engage in bilateral discussions during the event.

The agenda for the SCO meeting will focus on enhancing cooperation in economic and trade sectors. Analysts suggest that the organization aims to diminish Western influence in the region.

In preparation for the summit, the Pakistani government declared a three-day public holiday in Islamabad, leading to the closure of schools and businesses, alongside the deployment of significant police and paramilitary forces. The army has been tasked with ensuring security in the capital’s Red Zone, which houses the parliament and a diplomatic enclave, and where the majority of SCO meetings will occur, as stated by the interior ministry.

Security concerns have been heightened leading up to the summit, particularly following the murder of two Chinese engineers on October 6, attributed to the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, and the deaths of 21 miners in an attack on October 11, for which no group has taken responsibility.