Pakistan is ready to host the 23rd Heads of Government Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Jinnah Convention Center to check the preparations for the summit. The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and officials from the Foreign Office briefed him on the arrangements.

PM Shehbaz will lead the SCO Council of the Heads of Government meeting as the current Chair. The summit will be attended by the prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Additionally, the First Vice President of Iran and the External Affairs Minister of India will be present. The Prime Minister of Mongolia will attend as an observer, and the deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and foreign minister of Turkmenistan will be special guests.

Prime Minister Shehbaz will also have one-on-one meetings with the visiting heads of delegations during the summit. The discussions will focus on cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural ties, as well as reviewing the organization’s performance.