# Ishaq Dar in Dushanbe for SCO heads of government meeting on 19 and 20 October

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/politics/ishaq-dar-in-dushanbe-for-sco-heads-of-government-meeting-on-19-and-20-october)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 19 Oct 2026
Updated: 19 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 19 Oct 2026

> The deputy prime minister leads Pakistan at the SCO's second-highest body, a year before Islamabad hosts the heads of state summit in 2027.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister **Ishaq Dar** is leading Pakistan at the **Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government** meeting in **Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 19 and 20 October**, the Foreign Office said on Monday, as reported by Dawn.

Dar is attending at the invitation of Tajikistan's Prime Minister, Qohir Rasulzoda.

## Who else is there

According to the Foreign Office, the meeting brings together:

- the prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
- Iran's vice president
- India's external affairs minister

India sending its foreign minister rather than its prime minister means Dar and the Indian minister will be in the same room, though no meeting between them has been announced.

## What the council does

The Council of Heads of Government is the SCO's **second-highest decision-making body**, after the heads of state summit. It deals with economic, financial and trade cooperation, transport and connectivity, and social questions, and it **approves the organisation's budget**. Its decisions usually come in a joint communique at the end of the meeting.

## Dar's programme

Besides the plenary session, the Foreign Office said Dar would:

- call on the President and the Prime Minister of Tajikistan
- hold bilateral meetings with ministers from other SCO countries on the sidelines

## Pakistan's SCO year ahead

The Dushanbe meeting opens a busy period for Pakistan in the organisation:

- Pakistan chairs the SCO's **Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure** for 2025-26.
- It takes over the chairmanship of the **Council of Heads of State** in September, and is to host that summit in **Islamabad in 2027**. Dar chaired a meeting on 1 October to review preparations.
- Pakistan last hosted the Council of Heads of Government, the body meeting in Dushanbe now, in Islamabad in October 2024.

## What it means at home

Hosting the 2027 summit would bring the heads of state of the SCO members to Islamabad, with the security arrangements that come with them. The Foreign Office has not yet given dates.

Pakistan also hosts the Maldives president this week: see [Mohamed Muizzu's state visit from 20 to 22 October](/news/politics/maldives-president-mohamed-muizzu-in-pakistan-20-to-22-october-the-first). We will update this story with the outcome of the Dushanbe meeting.

## Frequently asked questions

**Who is representing Pakistan at the SCO meeting in Dushanbe?**

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, at the invitation of Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, the Foreign Office said on 19 October 2026.

**When will Pakistan host the SCO summit?**

Pakistan is to host the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Islamabad in 2027, and takes over that council’s chairmanship in September, the Foreign Office said.

## Sources

- DPM Dar to attend high-level SCO moot in Tajikistan (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2038263/dpm-dar-to-attend-high-level-sco-moot-in-tajikistan

How to cite: "Ishaq Dar in Dushanbe for SCO heads of government meeting on 19 and 20 October", Searchable, 19 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/politics/ishaq-dar-in-dushanbe-for-sco-heads-of-government-meeting-on-19-and-20-october