PM Shehbaz departs for Bishkek to attend SCO summit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to travel to Bishkek on Monday to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where Pakistan is expected to assume the organisation's rotating chairmanship for a one-year term.

 

During the two-day summit in the Kyrgyz capital, the prime minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders attending the gathering.

 

However, the Foreign Office said there are currently no plans for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as New Delhi has not sought such an engagement.

 

The summit will mark the first major international gathering attended by both leaders since the military confrontation between Pakistan and India in May 2025.

 

Several prominent regional leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, are expected to participate in the summit.

 

Prime Minister Shehbaz is also expected to meet Kyrgyzstan's leadership and engage with other participating heads of state and government on the sidelines of the event.

 

The SCO summit is expected to focus on strengthening regional economic cooperation, enhancing security coordination and addressing terrorism.

 

Regional geopolitical developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States, are also likely to feature in discussions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to brief participating leaders on recent developments concerning Iran.

 

Founded in 2001, the SCO comprises major regional powers including China, Russia, Pakistan and India, along with several Central Asian states. The organisation serves as a platform for cooperation on regional security, economic integration and political coordination.