PM Shehbaz Leaves for Kyrgyzstan to Attend SCO Summit, Assume Chairmanship
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Bishkek on Monday for a three-day official visit to Kyrgyzstan, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders and assume Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026–27.
The visit, scheduled from August 31 to September 2, is being undertaken at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the trip would combine multilateral engagements at the SCO with bilateral talks aimed at strengthening relations between Islamabad and Bishkek.
The original report said the prime minister was set to depart, but an updated official announcement confirms that Shehbaz has now left for Bishkek.
Shehbaz to Attend SCO and SCO Plus Summits
During his stay, Shehbaz will participate in the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State as well as the SCO Plus Summit.
The summit represents one of Pakistan’s most important multilateral diplomatic engagements of the year, bringing together leaders from across Eurasia at a time of heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office had confirmed on August 27 that the country would take over the organisation’s chairmanship for one year following the Bishkek summit.
The transition will place Pakistan at the centre of the SCO’s political agenda over the coming year.
Pakistan to Assume SCO Chairmanship
A central feature of Shehbaz’s visit will be Pakistan’s assumption of the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026–27.
Pakistan’s tenure is expected to culminate in the country hosting the next SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Islamabad in 2027, according to the Foreign Office.
That distinction is important: Pakistan is assuming the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State, and the Foreign Office has identified the 2027 Islamabad leaders’ summit as the hallmark of its upcoming tenure.
The SCO includes major Eurasian powers and provides Pakistan with a multilateral platform for discussions involving regional security, connectivity, economic cooperation and political coordination.
Xi Jinping Among Leaders in Kyrgyzstan
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also attending the SCO gathering in Kyrgyzstan.
China’s Foreign Ministry announced that Xi would be in Kyrgyzstan as part of a visit running from August 30 before travelling onward to Egypt. Reuters reported that he would meet President Japarov and participate in SCO engagements involving other regional leaders.
The gathering therefore provides Shehbaz with opportunities for high-level diplomatic contacts beyond Pakistan’s formal meetings with the Kyrgyz leadership.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the prime minister would hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries on the sidelines, although it did not identify every leader he would meet in its August 31 curtain-raiser.
For that reason, individual bilateral meetings should not be reported as confirmed until officially announced.
Shehbaz to Attend World Nomad Games Opening
Shehbaz is also scheduled to participate in the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games on August 31, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
The event coincides with Kyrgyzstan’s Independence Day and forms part of the broader programme surrounding the prime minister’s stay.
His delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ataullah Tarar, along with senior government officials.
Shehbaz, Japarov to Hold Bilateral Talks
The bilateral component of the trip is scheduled to culminate on September 2, when Shehbaz will hold talks with President Japarov covering the full spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the two leaders are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
Regional and international developments, as well as coordination at multilateral forums, will also be on the agenda.
For Pakistan, improved connectivity with Kyrgyzstan and the wider Central Asian region has become an increasingly important foreign-policy and economic objective.
Islamabad sees Central Asia as a potential destination for trade and investment as well as an important component of regional transport and energy connectivity.
Summit Comes Amid Regional Tensions
The SCO meeting takes place against a complicated regional backdrop, including continuing instability in the Middle East and Gulf, concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, Afghanistan and broader security and economic challenges across Eurasia.
Pakistan has recently been involved in diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions between Iran and the United States and restoring normal movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Foreign Office said last week that Islamabad remained engaged with regional partners in efforts to encourage a negotiated settlement.
These developments could provide additional context for discussions among leaders in Bishkek, although Pakistan has not publicly confirmed that every regional crisis will appear on the summit’s formal agenda.
No Confirmed Modi-Shehbaz Meeting Yet
The possibility of bilateral encounters on the SCO sidelines will attract considerable attention, particularly because leaders of several major regional countries are attending.
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on August 27 that it had no information at that stage regarding specific engagements for Shehbaz on the sidelines of the summit and would announce details as they emerged.
Accordingly, any potential meeting between Shehbaz and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not be reported as confirmed unless subsequently announced by either government.
Pakistan Seeks Stronger Central Asia Links
Islamabad says Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan share longstanding ties based on cultural, historical and religious connections, while both governments have increasingly emphasised practical economic cooperation.
The Foreign Ministry said Shehbaz’s visit was intended to build on recent high-level exchanges and convert political goodwill into stronger cooperation, particularly in connectivity and commerce.
Pakistan’s engagement with the SCO has also become a central element of its wider Eurasian diplomacy.
Shehbaz participated in the previous SCO Council of Heads of State and SCO Plus meetings in Tianjin, China, in 2025, where he emphasised regional connectivity, sovereignty and economic cooperation.
The Bishkek summit now marks a transition from participation to a more prominent organisational role as Pakistan takes over the Council of Heads of State chairmanship.
The key developments to watch during the three-day visit will be Shehbaz’s bilateral meetings, Pakistan’s formal assumption of the SCO chairmanship, the outcomes of the leaders’ summit and any agreements or announcements emerging from his September 2 talks with President Japarov.
