Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Arrives In Bishkek; Set To Assume Rotating SCO Chairmanship
Shehbaz Sharif lands in Bishkek for SCO summit.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a three-day visit during which he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold a series of bilateral engagements with regional leaders. According to an official statement issued by Pakistan's foreign office, Sharif is visiting the country at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov, marking a significant diplomatic engagement for the Pakistani premier within the broader multilateral SCO framework.
The foreign office confirmed that Sharif's visit will include participation in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting, along with a range of bilateral engagements to be held in the Kyrgyz Republic during his stay in the capital, Bishkek. Beyond the formal summit proceedings, Sharif is also set to participate in the SCO Plus Summit, an expanded dialogue format that typically brings together SCO member states alongside observer and partner countries for broader discussions on regional cooperation.
A notable highlight of the visit will be Pakistan's formal assumption of the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for the 2026-2027 term, a rotating leadership role within the organization that will position Islamabad at the helm of the bloc's top decision-making body for the coming year. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a 10-member regional body, was originally founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, before expanding to include India and Pakistan as full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, making it one of the more significant multilateral groupings spanning Eurasia.
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On the sidelines of the SCO-related engagements, Sharif is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of other participating countries, in addition to attending the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games taking place in Bishkek on Monday, an international multi-sport event celebrating traditional nomadic games and culture across Central Asia. These sidebar engagements are expected to provide Sharif with additional opportunities for diplomatic outreach beyond the formal summit agenda.
On Wednesday, Sharif is set to hold dedicated bilateral talks with President Zhaparov covering the full spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations, with both sides expected to discuss avenues for deepening cooperation across trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on broader regional and international developments of mutual interest, reflecting the wider strategic and multilateral dimensions of the visit beyond the bilateral relationship itself, as both nations look to strengthen ties within the evolving Central and South Asian geopolitical landscape.
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