Bishkek (GNP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a red-carpet welcome and guard of honour on Wednesday upon his arrival at Yntymak Ordo, the Kyrgyz presidential palace known as the Palace of Unity, for a meeting with President Sadyr Zhaparov.
President Zhaparov personally welcomed the prime minister as he arrived for the formal reception, with the national anthems of both Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan played as the two leaders stood at the salute dais. Contingents from the Kyrgyz armed forces presented a guard of honour, which the prime minister inspected during his visit to Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of State meeting.
The two leaders introduced their respective delegations before moving into bilateral talks covering both regional and bilateral matters.
Addressing the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan remains committed to resolving disputes peacefully in line with international law and the guidelines set out by the UN and the SCO charter. He noted that this principle guided Pakistan’s strong advocacy for peace earlier this year, when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an SCO member state came under threat, triggering a major regional crisis.
He said the resulting closure of critical energy supply routes disrupted the global economy, imposing a heavy cost on Pakistan and the wider international community. Throughout the crisis, he said, Pakistan worked consistently as an honest mediator, with sustained diplomatic efforts eventually leading to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding aimed at regional de-escalation and the restoration of peace. He thanked friendly and allied countries for their continued support during this process, describing the memorandum as the most viable and lasting path toward peace in the region.
Referring to the recently signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, the prime minister stressed that it is purely defensive in character, not aimed at any particular state, and not meant to provoke confrontation or division.
Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s long-standing support for multilateralism, saying multilateral institutions must be empowered to turn stated goals into real outcomes. Turning to the situation in Gaza, he called on the international community to fulfill its obligations to the Palestinian people and other oppressed nations in securing their right to self-determination.
He said South Asia cannot reach its full potential without durable peace, and stressed that water must never be used as a tool of coercion or political leverage, calling for water treaties to be honored fully and unconditionally.
Highlighting Pakistan’s toll in the fight against terrorism, the prime minister said the country has lost more than ninety thousand lives and suffered economic losses exceeding $150 billion over the past two and a half decades — sacrifices, he said, made not just for Pakistan but for regional and global security. He reiterated Pakistan’s desire for a peaceful, stable Afghanistan, while cautioning that lasting peace will remain elusive as long as terrorist groups continue operating from Afghan soil against Pakistani and other civilians.
On regional cooperation, Sharif described connectivity as central to shared prosperity among SCO member states, pointing to CPEC’s continued role as a link between regional economies and the Arabian Sea, and reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to advancing trans-regional rail, road and energy connectivity projects.
As Pakistan takes over the SCO chairmanship, the prime minister outlined an action plan prioritizing sectors including IT and AI, energy, development and poverty reduction, disaster management, health, culture and sports. He proposed establishing a sovereign AI infrastructure and governance framework within the SCO to promote responsible, inclusive AI development that leaves no member state behind. He said Pakistan’s chairmanship would be guided by the theme “Turning Vision into Action, Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity,” expressing hope that greater connectivity, innovation and shared prosperity would bring benefits to people across the region.
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The prime minister, along with other heads of state, signed the SCO meeting’s joint declaration at the conclusion of the summit.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
