PM to visit Tajikistan today to attend SCO summit.

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan will be paying a two-day official visit to Tajikistan on the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan from today (September 16).

The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level ministerial delegation. This will be the third visit of the prime minister to Central Asia, underlining Pakistan's enhanced engagement with the region. The prime minister will participate in the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit in Dushanbe.

He has earlier participated in SCO-CHS held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on June 13-14, 2019 and SCO-CHS hosted by Russia on 10th November 2020 through video conference.

SCO is an 8-member permanent inter-governmental trans-regional organisation. It was established in Shanghai on 15th June 2001. Pakistan became an SCO Observer in 2005 and a full member in June 2017 during Astana SCO-CHS Summit. Russia, China, India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan are other SCO members.

Bilateral meetings with regional leaders also on the agenda

SCO also has 4 Observer states (Iran, Mongolia, Belarus and Afghanistan) and 6 Dialogue Partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka). The prime minister will have bilateral meetings with other participating leaders on the sidelines. After attending the SCO-CHS, the prime minister will have the bilateral segment of the visit. His talks with Tajik President will cover the entire gamut of bilateral...