Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was presented with a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace in Bishkek on Wednesday during his official three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan. This visit follows his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus Summit.
Invited by President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov, PM Shehbaz is accompanied by senior officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar. During his stay, he is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with President Zhaparov covering various aspects of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations.
The talks are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism, and people-to-people contacts. Additionally, both leaders will exchange perspectives on regional and international issues and collaboration within regional and multilateral organizations.
Prior to the bilateral meetings, PM Shehbaz engaged with other leaders attending the SCO events and took part in the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games held in Bishkek. The historical, religious, and cultural bonds shared by Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan underpin this visit, which aims to build on recent high-level engagements and foster stronger practical cooperation.
In a significant development, PM Shehbaz warned against the politicization of shared water resources during the 26th SCO Council of Heads of State meeting on September 1. As Pakistan assumed the SCO chairmanship for 2026-27, he emphasized that transboundary water agreements are binding international commitments that must be honored unconditionally, referencing ongoing tensions with India over the Indus Waters Treaty.
Outlining Pakistan’s priorities for the SCO chairmanship, PM Shehbaz highlighted areas such as information technology, artificial intelligence, energy, poverty alleviation, disaster management, healthcare, culture, and sports. He proposed establishing an SCO framework for sovereign AI infrastructure and governance to promote responsible and inclusive technological advancement.
Pakistan will also host the Global Resilience Expo in Islamabad in 2026-27, aimed at enhancing regional collaboration on disaster preparedness, early-warning mechanisms, and emergency response. He called for the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy through 2035 and expressed support for the creation of an SCO Development Bank.
Regarding regional connectivity, PM Shehbaz underscored the strategic importance of projects linking member states, specifically highlighting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a critical route connecting regional economies to the Arabian Sea.
He further noted Pakistan’s diplomatic role in addressing regional crises following violations of SCO member states’ sovereignty, citing Islamabad’s contribution to the June 2026 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. This MoU is seen as a constructive path toward sustainable peace through dialogue and diplomacy.
PM Shehbaz also referenced the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, emphasizing its defensive nature and clarifying that it is not directed against any country.
On security concerns, he described terrorism as a significant threat across the SCO region. Highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices, he stated that the country has lost over 90,000 lives and suffered economic damages exceeding $150 billion during its more than two decades of combating terrorism.
He called for an end to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, urging international efforts to uphold their right to self-determination. Additionally, PM Shehbaz advocated for reforms in the United Nations to enhance its accountability and responsiveness in an increasingly multipolar world.
At the summit, PM Shehbaz signed the joint declaration on behalf of Pakistan, formally marking the country’s assumption of the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026-27.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Bishkek, focusing on bilateral relations and the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
