The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a post on X that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had departed for Kyrgyzstan, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and present Pakistan’s position on regional and international issues.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar are accompanying the prime minister.
The Foreign Office said earlier that the three-day visit would include Prime Minister Shehbaz’s participation in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting, the SCO Plus Summit and a series of bilateral engagements in Kyrgyzstan.
“During his stay in Bishkek, the prime minister will participate in the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State and the SCO Plus Summit,” the Foreign Office said.
The prime minister is also scheduled to assume Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27. He will hold bilateral meetings with leaders attending the summit on the sidelines of the event.
According to the Foreign Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz will attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games on August 31.
On September 2, he is scheduled to hold talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on the broader scope of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations.
The two sides are expected to review bilateral ties and explore ways to expand cooperation in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people contacts.
The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international developments and discuss cooperation at regional and multilateral forums, the Foreign Office said.
The FO described relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan as “warm and fraternal”, based on shared history, faith and cultural links, as well as common aspirations for peace, connectivity and prosperity in Central and South Asia.
It said the visit would provide an opportunity to build on recent high-level exchanges, strengthen practical cooperation and further consolidate bilateral ties.
Around a dozen world leaders are expected to travel to Bishkek for events marking the 25th anniversary of the SCO. The organisation has 10 member states: India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status.
Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State, while Islamabad is scheduled to host the council’s summit next year.
