When Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar landed in Pakistan for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, many people asked has the two nations had broken the ice or if this was a new beginning in the frosty relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours?

Although, the two sides did not have any bilateral meetings many journalists believe the Indian cabinet member’s trip to Pakistan was “significant” as the Narendra Modi government also had other options to skip the invitation.

Islamabad hosted the heads-of-government gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation from October 15 to 16. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had warmly welcomed Jaishankar along with other international leaders during a dinner marking the first day of the event.

“I think the silver lining was sending the foreign minister to Pakistan for the SCO despite having differences,” Indian journalist Shubhajit Roy said while appearing on Aaj News show Rubaroo which was aired on Sunday.

“This is a signalling. I won’t say it is positive but we have to have normal relations and this can be a first step.”

When asked, he said that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has always been positive for India. He described Nawaz’s comment for Modi as “his muscle memory response.”

Nawaz in an interview with Barkha Dutt said that it would have been “great” if Modi had also attended the heads-of-government gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Pakistan.

Roy, who is associated with the Indian Express, reiterated that despite differences India’s decision to send a foreign minister to Pakistan could be a positive signal towards normalising the relationship.

Geeta Mohan, the foreign affairs editor at India Today, lamented that people’s hopes and expectations have gone so low that even a visit by any Indian minister is considered a “big optimistic gesture.”

She called for seeing the “substance” as what was discussed between the two sides or decisions made by the two countries.

Despite that, Mohan said that the choice of words by the two countries at the summit was different to the one used when former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Goa, India for the SCO meeting.

When asked, she said that there was a policy shift in Pakistan whenever the Sharif family came into power. She added that the tone and tenor were set by PML-N President Nawaz before Jaishankar’s attendance.

“But it has to be seen how much it translates,” Mohan said.

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ABP News’ Ashish Kumar Singh stated that Jaishankar’s visit was a “big development” considering other options to mark his attendance.

He added that journalists were discussing would the Indian foreign minister shake hands with the premier or do Namaste

“But the body language suggested that there will be positive developments. Moreover, Pakistan and India did not have any heated exchanges or altercations. This is a positive beginning. Jaishankar’s tweet shows that it is a beginning to break the ice.”