Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan will lead the country at 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, during his two-day official visit on September 16-17. The visit of PM Imran Khan is taking place on the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on September 16-17. A high-level ministerial delegation will accompany the prime minister. This will be the third visit of the Prime Minister to Central Asia, underlining Pakistan’s enhanced engagement with the region. He has earlier participated in SCO-CHS held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 13-14 June 2019 and SCO-CHS hosted by Russia on 10 November 2020 through video-conference. The SCO, an eight-member permanent inter-governmental trans-regional Organization, was established in Shanghai on 15 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. The SCO also has four Observer states (Iran, Mongolia, Belarus and Afghanistan) and six Dialogue Partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka).