Pakistan to chair SCO Heads of State Council, host summit in 2027: FM Dar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will assume the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of States (CHS) in September this year and host the SCO Summit in 2027, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said while addressing the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic, according to a Foreign Office statement.

"We look forward to assuming the Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of States (CHS) in September this year, inshAllah, and hosting the Summit in Pakistan in 2027," Dar said.

He said the chairmanship reflected the trust and confidence in Pakistan's role regionally and globally, adding that Islamabad will continue to advance a “forward-looking” and action-oriented agenda aimed at enhancing economic collaboration, promoting regional connectivity and deepening mutual understanding among peoples.

Terrorism remains key security challenge

Dar said Pakistan desired a peaceful, stable, regionally integrated and prosperous Afghanistan, saying it was in the best interest of all SCO member states and beyond.

He said terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remained one of the most serious security challenges, adding that terrorist organizations, including the proscribed Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), East Turkestan Islamic Movement (IMU) and similar affiliates, continued to recruit, train and operate from Afghan soil under the watch and facilitation of the Afghan Taliban regime.

Dar said Pakistan had been at the forefront of the terrorist threat, with TTP carrying out attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians using Afghan soil as its base of operations.

"In this year alone, more than 560 innocent Pakistanis have been martyred in over 2,000 terrorist incidents," he said, adding that it was deeply concerning that Afghan nationals had been found to be involved in the attacks.

Dar said durable peace, stability and economic development could only be achieved with the eradication of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil and expressed hope that the SCO would call upon the Afghan Taliban regime to honour its counterterrorism commitments and fulfil its responsibilities towards global peace and security.

Islamabad MoU and regional diplomacy

Dar said Pakistan believed dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect provided the only sustainable way forward to resolve conflicts and achieve durable peace and security.

He said Pakistan facilitated and hosted the Islamabad Talks between Iran and the United States on April 10-11, 2026, enabling the first high-level direct diplomatic contacts between the two sides after 47 years.

"The diplomatic process, thus initiated, culminated in the signing of the Islamabad MoU, in June 2026," Dar said.

He said the breakthrough became possible through Pakistan's engagement with both parties, complemented by intensive diplomatic outreach to regional and international partners.

Dar said Pakistan appreciated the trust and confidence reposed in it by both Iran and the United States in undertaking the responsibility in the larger interest of peace and security.

He said the outstanding issues could only be resolved through sustained dialogue and diplomacy, urging the international community to seize the opportunity provided by the Islamabad MoU and the ongoing technical negotiations to push for a permanent, peaceful and durable settlement of the conflict.

Dar also cautioned against actors seeking to undermine regional stability and derail the peace process.

Commitment to SCO Charter

Dar said Pakistan looked forward to welcoming all SCO member states for the Council of the Heads of State Summit next year.

Before concluding his address, he appreciated the remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other counterparts for recognizing Pakistan's efforts for peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to the objectives of the SCO Charter, Dar said Pakistan would continue to work as "a reliable and humble partner" to transform the region into "a space of enduring peace and shared prosperity," according to the Foreign Office statement.