What happened

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, departed on Monday for Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to represent Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, according to Dawn. Citing the Foreign Office, the publication reported that the session is scheduled for October 19–20, with Dar attending following an invitation from Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda of Tajikistan.

Key facts

According to statements from the Foreign Office reported by Dawn, the summit includes several high-level regional representatives:

  • Prime ministers from Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are attending the session.
  • Iran is represented by its vice president, while India is represented by its external affairs minister.
  • The CHG functions as the second-highest decision-making organ in the SCO, directing policies on connectivity, trade, economic and financial matters, socio-economic cooperation, and budget issues.
  • While in Dushanbe, Dar is slated to meet with Tajikistan's president and prime minister, alongside holding bilateral discussions with counterparts from other SCO member countries on the sidelines.

Why it matters

This conference follows Pakistan's recent hosting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad in October 2024. Dawn reported that Pakistan is set to lead the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure for the 2025–26 period. Additionally, an announcement in June confirmed that Pakistan would take over the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) in September and host its next summit.

Prior to his departure, Dar led a follow-up review on October 1 regarding preparations for the CHS summit, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in Islamabad in 2027. During that session, Dar noted that the summit offers a key opportunity to broaden cooperation with SCO partners and instructed officials to execute preparations in a timely and organized manner.

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Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 19, 2026 · Photo by paul jespers on Unsplash