ISLAMABAD, 26 August 2026 (Ghufran) — Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a three-day visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit. According to sources, the prime minister will participate in the SCO summit on August 31 and September 1, where he will interact with several regional leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The prime minister will also undertake a bilateral visit to Kyrgyzstan on September 2, according to the sources. Following the conclusion of the SCO summit in Bishkek, Pakistan will assume the organisation’s rotating presidency for a one-year term for the first time. Pakistan is scheduled to host the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Islamabad in 2027.The SCO summit is expected to provide an important platform for participating leaders to discuss regional cooperation, security, connectivity, economic development and other matters of mutual interest.