ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar departed for Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Monday to lead Pakistan’s delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, scheduled for October 19 and 20.
The visit marks another high-profile engagement for Pakistan’s top diplomat at a multilateral forum, as the SCO’s heads of government convene to review the bloc’s economic cooperation agenda and adopt key decisions for the year ahead. The Ishaq Dar SCO Tajikistan visit comes at a moment when regional connectivity and trade cooperation dominate the conversation among the organisation’s member states.
What’s on the Agenda at the SCO Council of Heads of Government
The SCO Council of Heads of Government is the organisation’s second-highest decision-making institution, meeting annually to set the direction of the bloc’s practical cooperation. According to a Foreign Office statement, this year’s session will provide guidance on a broad slate of areas, including the economy, finance, trade, connectivity, commerce, socio-economic cooperation, and the organisation’s budgetary matters.
The meeting is also expected to adopt a joint communique, along with statements and important decisions reflecting the member states’ collective positions. These outcomes will shape the SCO’s working agenda across its economic, financial, and connectivity tracks in the months to come.
For Pakistan, the agenda areas carry direct significance. Connectivity corridors linking South Asia with Central Asia, cross-border trade facilitation, and joint approaches to economic development have been recurring themes in Islamabad’s engagement with the SCO. The Ishaq Dar SCO Tajikistan visit gives the Pakistani side a platform to press these priorities at the highest government level within the organisation.
Who Is Attending the Dushanbe SCO Meeting 2026
The Dushanbe SCO meeting 2026 brings together one of the broadest line-ups seen at a heads-of-government session. The prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will represent their respective countries at the meeting.
In addition, the vice president of Iran and India’s external affairs minister are taking part, reflecting the SCO’s wide geographic spread across Eurasia. The presence of such a broad delegation from the bloc’s membership signals the importance member states attach to the CHG process as a venue for coordinating economic and regional policy.
Dar to Hold Sideline Meetings with Tajik Leadership and Counterparts
Besides participating in the formal proceedings, DPM Dar will meet Tajikistan’s leadership and his counterparts from SCO member states on the sidelines of the summit, the Foreign Office statement said. The Pakistan delegation SCO team will use these bilateral encounters to advance country-to-country cooperation on issues of shared interest.
Dar is leading Pakistan’s delegation at the invitation of Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda. During the visit, the deputy prime minister will call on the president and the prime minister of Tajikistan, according to the Foreign Office. The Ishaq Dar SCO Tajikistan schedule also includes bilateral meetings with his counterparts from SCO member states on the sidelines of the CHG meeting.
Such sideline meetings are a standard feature of SCO summits and often produce concrete bilateral understandings on trade, transit, and economic cooperation that go beyond the formal multilateral agenda.
Why the Pakistan Delegation SCO Visit Matters for the Region
Pakistan has positioned the SCO as a key platform for its outreach to Central Asia and Eurasia, using the forum to advocate for regional connectivity, energy cooperation, and expanded trade access. The Ishaq Dar SCO Tajikistan visit continues this line of engagement, placing Pakistan’s economic priorities on the table before a wide audience of regional decision-makers.
The meeting in Dushanbe also comes as the organisation consolidates its role in regional economic governance. With decisions on trade, connectivity, and the bloc’s budget expected, the outcomes of the CHG session will influence how the SCO’s member states coordinate on practical cooperation in the year ahead. The Ishaq Dar SCO Tajikistan visit therefore carries weight both as a multilateral engagement and as a platform for the bilateral meetings Islamabad has lined up on the margins.
Sources: Centreline; Foreign Office statement.
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