Ishaq Dar arrives in Tajikistan to lead Pakistan at SCO meeting
Ishaq Dar arrives in Dushanbe to lead Pakistan's delegation at the SCO meeting on October 19 to 20, with bilateral talks planned on the sidelines.
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On arrival, Dar was received by Tajikistan's Minister of Energy and Water Resources and Co-Chair of the Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Commission, Daler Juma.
MOFA
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Monday to lead Pakistan's delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting. The two-day meeting on October 19 and 20 gives member states a platform to discuss regional cooperation.
What is the SCO Council of Heads of Government?
The Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is the second-highest decision-making body of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It provides guidance on economic, financial, trade, connectivity and socio-economic cooperation, as well as on the organization’s budgetary matters, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
Who will attend the SCO meeting in Dushanbe?
On arrival, Dar was received by Tajikistan's Minister of Energy and Water Resources and Co-Chair of the Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Commission, Daler Juma. Pakistan's Ambassador to Tajikistan, Irfan Ahmed, and National Coordinator for the SCO, Khalil Hashmi, were also present, along with senior Tajik government officials.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 arrived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to lead Pakistan’s delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, being held on 19–20 October 2026.Upon arrival, the DPM/FM was received by Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources and Co-Chair of the Pakistan–Tajikistan Joint Commission, Mr. Daler Juma, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Irfan Ahmed, and Pakistan’s National Coordinator for the SCO, Khalil Hashmi, along with senior Tajik government officials.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 19, 2026
The prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will also attend, the FO said. Iran's vice president and India's external affairs minister will represent their countries at the meeting.
During his visit, Dar will call on Tajikistan's president and prime minister. He will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from SCO member states on the sidelines of the meeting, the FO added.
What is Pakistan's role in the SCO?
Pakistan assumed the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) for 2027 during the annual summit in Kyrgyzstan in September. On October 1, Dar chaired a follow-up meeting to review preparations for the CHS summit, which Islamabad will host in 2027.
In July, Pakistan hosted the 12th meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO. Islamabad also chairs the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS), a role it assumed last September.
Pakistan last hosted the SCO CHG meeting in Islamabad in October 2024.
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