Imran Khalid is a geostrategic analyst and freelance writer based in Karachi.
Despite the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to be held in Islamabad on October 15-16, the outlook for diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan remains dim. With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to stay away from the gathering, any hope of a thaw between the two nations has already faded. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend instead.