The highly anticipated 23rd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is starting today in Islamabad. The organization includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, with 16 other countries involved as observers or “dialogue partners”. Pakistan became a full member of the SCO in 2017.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the summit as the current Chair of the Council of the Heads of Government. Premier Li Qiang of China will attend, marking the first visit by a Chinese premier to Pakistan in 11 years.
The summit’s main event today will be a welcome dinner hosted by the prime minister. Tomorrow, the summit proceedings are expected to take place at the Jinnah Convention Centre, where PM Shehbaz will give his opening remarks, followed by statements from other member states and the signing of documents.
India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar will represent India at the meeting, but has stated that he will not discuss bilateral relations during his visit. Delegations from several other countries will also participate in the meeting.
With the arrival of foreign officials, stringent security measures have been put in place by the Pakistani government, with the army and Rangers deployed to ensure the safety of the event. More than 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to secure the 900 delegates attending the summit. Many businesses and routes in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been closed due to safety concerns.
