ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China in August to participate in the 25th Heads of State Council summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), scheduled to take place in the port city of Tianjin, according to sources at the PM House.
During the high-profile summit, PM Shehbaz is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several key leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The summit will bring together heads of state from all 10 SCO member countries, with final dates and scheduling currently being finalised by the SCO Secretariat.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly conveyed his inability to attend the summit, which will be hosted by China for the fifth time since the SCO’s inception.
Sources further revealed that PM Shehbaz will undertake a bilateral visit to China following the summit. It is likely that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will accompany the premier during the visit.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is currently in China attending an SCO defence ministers’ conclave. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also participating in the same event. National security advisers (NSAs) of both countries are present in Beijing as well, raising speculation about a potential meeting on the sidelines of the event.
PM Shehbaz is also expected to visit Qatar next week to express gratitude for its continued diplomatic support to Pakistan, particularly during times of heightened tensions with India.
Story by Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
