Pakistan’s Dar arrives in Tajikistan for SCO meeting

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Dushanbe on Monday to lead the country’s delegation to a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting scheduled for October 19–20, the Foreign Office said.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Dushanbe on Monday to lead the country’s delegation to a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting scheduled for October 19–20, the Foreign Office said.

Dar was received on arrival by Tajikistan’s Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma, Pakistan’s ambassador to Tajikistan, Irfan Ahmed, and Pakistan’s national coordinator for the SCO, Khalil Hashmi, along with senior Tajik officials.

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Dar later met Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, thanking him for the hospitality extended to the Pakistani delegation and praising arrangements for the meeting, according to the Foreign Office. He also congratulated Tajikistan on the 35th anniversary of its independence.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defence and culture, as well as promoting people-to-people exchanges, the Foreign Office said. They also discussed cooperation on climate change and water security.

Dar highlighted Pakistan’s experience in disaster management and said the two countries could cooperate through Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. The leaders also exchanged views on regional developments, with Dar reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and deeper economic integration, the ministry added.

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Dar is visiting Tajikistan at the invitation of Rasulzoda to attend the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting, which runs from October 19 to 20.

The CHG is the SCO’s second-highest decision-making body. It provides guidance on economic, financial, trade, connectivity and socio-economic cooperation, as well as the organisation’s budget, according to the Foreign Office.

The prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are expected to represent their countries at the meeting. Iran will be represented by its vice president and India by its external affairs minister, the ministry said.

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During the visit, Dar is also scheduled to meet Tajikistan’s president and hold bilateral talks with counterparts from other SCO member states on the sidelines of the meeting.

Pakistan is scheduled to host the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) summit in Islamabad in 2027. On October 1, Dar chaired a meeting to review preparations for the summit.

In July, Pakistan hosted the 12th meeting of the heads of border services of SCO member states. Pakistan is also chairing the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) for the 2025–26 term.