PM Shehbaz Heads to Kyrgyzstan for SCO Summit, Pakistan to Take Chair

PM Shehbaz Heads to Kyrgyzstan for SCO Summit, Pakistan to Take Chair

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to begin a three-day official visit to Kyrgyzstan on Monday, August 31, where he will represent Pakistan at a major Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and hold a series of bilateral engagements. The visit, scheduled to continue until September 2, comes at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov, according to Pakistan's Foreign Office.

The prime minister's programme in Bishkek includes participation in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting as well as the SCO Plus Summit. Pakistan will also assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27, giving Islamabad a central role in the organisation's agenda during the coming year. The next Council of Heads of State summit is expected to be hosted by Islamabad.

Shehbaz will be accompanied by a senior government delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and other officials. Their presence reflects the broad economic, diplomatic and connectivity issues expected to feature during Pakistan's engagements in Kyrgyzstan.

On the sidelines of the SCO meetings, the prime minister is expected to meet leaders of participating countries. These discussions will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to advance bilateral relationships while also exchanging views on regional and international developments. The SCO brings together 10 member states — Pakistan, China, Russia, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — while Afghanistan and Mongolia hold observer status.

The visit will also include a bilateral meeting between Shehbaz and President Zhaparov on September 2. According to the Foreign Office, the two leaders will review the full range of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and explore ways to expand cooperation in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and exchanges between the people of the two countries. Cooperation in regional and multilateral forums is also expected to be discussed.

For Pakistan, the trip carries added significance because of Islamabad's efforts to strengthen economic and transport links with Central Asia. Enhanced regional connectivity could support Pakistan's trade ambitions and create additional opportunities for investment and commerce with landlocked Central Asian economies. The government's focus on trade, energy and transport during the Kyrgyzstan visit places economic diplomacy alongside Pakistan's wider political engagement within the SCO.

Shehbaz is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games on August 31. The event forms part of a visit taking place as the SCO marks 25 years, with around a dozen world leaders expected in Bishkek for the gathering.

Pakistan's assumption of the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship will shift attention to Islamabad's priorities for the organisation over the next year. Following the Bishkek summit, the government is expected to begin preparations for its chairmanship and the next leaders' summit in Pakistan, while pursuing the bilateral commitments and economic cooperation discussed during Shehbaz's meetings in Kyrgyzstan.