Ishaq Dar returns from Dushanbe after representing Pakistan at SCO meeting

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has completed his visit to Tajikistan and returned to Islamabad. According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, he represented Pakistan at the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe. He also held bilateral meetings with important global and regional leaders.

The spokesperson said Dar held detailed discussions at the meeting on promoting regional economic cooperation, strengthening connectivity and sustainable development. The Foreign Office described the visit as highly useful and successful.

According to The Express Tribune, Dar arrived in Dushanbe on 19 October, and the meeting was held on 19 and 20 October. At the airport, he was received by Tajikistan’s Minister for Energy and Water Resources and co-chair of the Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Commission, Daler Juma; Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Irfan Ahmed; and Pakistan’s National Coordinator for the SCO, Khalil Hashmi. Senior Tajik officials were also present.

According to an earlier Foreign Office statement, Dar attended the meeting at the invitation of Tajikistan’s Prime Minister, Qohir Rasulzoda. The statement said the prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan would attend the meeting, while Iran would be represented by its Vice President and India by its Foreign Minister.

According to the Foreign Office, the Council of Heads of Government is the second-highest decision-making body of the SCO. It provides guidance on economic, financial, trade, connectivity, commerce and socio-economic cooperation and on matters relating to the organisation’s budget. A joint declaration, statements and key decisions were expected to be adopted at the meeting. During the visit, Dar was also scheduled to meet the Tajik President and Prime Minister and to hold talks with counterparts from member states on the sidelines.

By way of background, Pakistan holds the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27 and will host the organisation’s next summit in Islamabad in 2027. At the Bishkek meeting in September, the Bishkek Declaration was approved and more than 20 documents were signed or adopted. At the same meeting, Lahore was named the SCO’s tourism and cultural capital for 2026-27. Pakistan also hosted the Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad on 15 and 16 October 2024.