Key Takeaways
- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar departed for Tajikistan.
- The meeting will take place on October 19-20 and includes representatives from SCO member states.
- Pakistan will host the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in 2027.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has embarked on a high-level mission to Tajikistan, leading Pakistan’s delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting.
The meeting, scheduled for October 19-20, will see the participation of prime ministers from Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with Iran’s vice president and India’s external affairs minister.
During his visit, Dar will also meet with Tajikistan’s president and prime minister, and hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from SCO member states.
The Council of Heads of Government is the SCO’s second-highest decision-making body, focusing on economic, financial, trade, connectivity, and socio-economic cooperation, as well as budgetary matters.
Dar highlighted the upcoming SCO Council of Heads of State summit, which Pakistan will host in Islamabad in 2027, as an opportunity to deepen engagement with member states and advance shared regional priorities.
Pakistan last hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad in October 2024, and is currently chairing the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure for 2025-26.
In an earlier meeting, Dar chaired a follow-up session to review preparations for the SCO Council of Heads of State summit, emphasizing the need for coordinated and timely efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.
The Foreign Office stated that the visit is part of Dar’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s diplomatic ties and regional cooperation within the SCO framework.
