ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday chaired a meeting of the high-level committee tasked by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure arrangements for hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting to be held on 15-16 October in Islamabad.

The committee has been constituted in pursuit of the Prime Minister’s directive to ensure hosting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in Islamabad in a befitting manner. It comprises, as its members, Federal Ministers for Economic Affairs, Interior, Information and Broadcasting, and Secretaries of the Foreign Affairs, Cabinet, and Interior, as well as, Chairman CDA.

The committee, which held its meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussed the needs assessment and gave directions to the concerned authorities for making efficient arrangements, in line with SCO practice, Pakistan’s international standing, concomitant with Pakistan’s traditional hospitality.

According to a statement of the Foreign Office, the committee members expressed satisfaction at the ongoing preparations.

The Foreign Minister stressed the need for maintaining the momentum of preparations. Since becoming full member of SCO in 2017, Pakistan has been actively participating in various SCO formats. As chair of the SCO CHG, Pakistan will be hosting the 23rd meeting of the CHG in autumn this year. CHG is the second-highest decision-making body of the SCO. It deals with socio-economic, cultural and other humanitarian cooperation issues as well as budgetary and financial matters of SCO. SCO comprises 10 countries including Pakistan, China, Russia, India, Iran, Belarus and 04 Central Asia States.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024