Pakistan is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting in the federal capital today and tomorrow. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair this high-level event, and stringent security measures are in place to ensure its smooth operation.
The meeting will include prime ministers and senior officials from SCO member states, such as Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the First Vice President of Iran. The External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar, and the Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang, will also represent their countries.
As an observer state, Mongolia’s Prime Minister, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan will also participate as special guests.
Discussions at the council will focus on ongoing cooperation in economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural linkages. The group will also review the organization’s performance. Today, PM Shehbaz begins his one-year term as chair of the SCO Council of Chief Executives/Heads of Government, taking over from India after its 17-month term.
PM Shehbaz will hold key bilateral meetings with visiting delegation heads on the sidelines.
S. Jaishankar will represent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will stay in Islamabad for about 24 hours before returning on Wednesday evening. This visit marks the first by an Indian External Affairs Minister in almost ten years.
Jaishankar has stated his visit aims to fulfill his role as a “good member” of the SCO, not to discuss bilateral issues. The last Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj in December 2015. Since India joined the SCO in 2017, no Indian PM has attended the annual meeting of the Council of Heads of Government, making Jaishankar’s attendance expected.
