Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is leading the country’s delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which opened on Monday for two days of talks on trade, connectivity and regional economic cooperation.
The Foreign Office said Dar was attending at the invitation of Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda. He will also call on Tajikistan’s president and prime minister and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from member states on the sidelines of the gathering.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: Deputy PM Ishaq Dar leads Pakistan’s delegation to the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe on Oct 19–20. Leaders from ten countries are attending; a joint communiqué on trade and connectivity is expected.
The agenda in Dushanbe
The two-day meeting brings together the prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Iran represented by its vice president and India by its external affairs minister, according to the Foreign Office.
The Council of Heads of Government is the SCO’s “second highest decision-making institution,” in the Foreign Office’s words, guiding the organisation on economic and financial affairs, trade, connectivity, commerce, socio-economic cooperation and budgetary matters. The meeting is expected to adopt a joint communiqué, along with statements and key decisions on cooperation between member states.
Dar’s visit follows a preparatory push at home: on October 1, he chaired a follow-up meeting in Islamabad to review arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State summit that Pakistan is scheduled to host in 2027, and Pakistan is currently chairing the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure for 2025–26. Pakistan last hosted the heads-of-government meeting itself in Islamabad in October 2024.
Why it matters
For Islamabad, the Dushanbe meeting is a working showcase for a consistent pitch: Pakistan as the trade bridge between Central Asia and the Arabian Sea. Regional connectivity — rail, road and energy links tying landlocked Central Asian economies to Pakistani ports — has been Islamabad’s central argument in SCO economic forums for years, and each communiqué is judged partly on whether it moves any of those projects from paper toward construction.
The timing also matters: with regional supply routes strained by conflicts and shipping disruptions further west, Central Asian capitals have extra reason to weigh alternatives. And with India’s external affairs minister in the same room as Dar, the summit doubles as a rare multilateral stage where both rivals appear — any sideline interaction, or its absence, will be read closely in both capitals.
What’s next
The joint communiqué is expected on Tuesday, October 20, when the meeting concludes. Watch for whether it names specific connectivity or trade-facilitation projects — the difference between a routine statement and one with teeth — and for readouts of Dar’s bilateral meetings, which could produce concrete agreements with Central Asian partners.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SCO Council of Heads of Government?
It is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s second-highest decision-making body, sitting below the Council of Heads of State. Unlike the leaders’ summit, which deals with strategy and security, the heads-of-government meeting focuses on practical economics: trade, finance, connectivity, commerce and the organisation’s budget.
What is Pakistan seeking at Dushanbe?
Islamabad wants stronger regional trade and transit links between Central Asia and Pakistani ports, plus bilateral economic openings with member states. The summit also lets Pakistan present itself as a serious upcoming host, ahead of the 2027 heads-of-state summit in Islamabad.
Sources
- Dawn — “DPM Dar to attend high-level SCO moot in Tajikistan” (19 Oct 2026) — attendees, agenda, Dar’s Oct 1 summit-preparation meeting, Pakistan’s 2024 CHG hosting
- The Express Tribune — “FM Dar to lead Pakistan delegation at SCO meeting in Tajikistan” (19 Oct 2026) — FO statement, invitation from Tajik PM, expected joint communiqué
- Aaj English TV — “Ishaq Dar to lead Pakistan delegation at SCO meeting in Tajikistan” (19 Oct 2026) — CHG as second-highest body, economic agenda
- Business Recorder — “DPM Dar to attend SCO heads of government meeting in Tajikistan” (19 Oct 2026) — FO statement, bilateral meetings on sidelines
- APP via Tezkhabar — “DPM/FM Dar to attend SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe” (19 Oct 2026) — primary FO press statement wording
