Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Dar reviews preparations for 2027 SCO summit — Dawn

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reviewed preparations in Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State summit, which the country is to host in 2027. He expressed satisfaction with the state of preparations and instructed all involved agencies to ensure close coordination, Dawn reports.

Meeting with national coordinators

Dar also stressed Pakistan’s commitment to successfully hosting the summit and setting high standards as the host country of this multilateral forum.

A delegation of SCO national coordinators and other officials met with the minister. The coordinators were in Islamabad to attend the first meeting of the Council of National Coordinators, chaired by Pakistan’s national coordinator.

The meeting’s participants reaffirmed their commitment to the SCO’s goals and stated their intention to advance the organisation’s objectives through further engagement and practical cooperation.

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Purchase of armoured vehicles

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s government defended its decision to purchase 45 armoured vehicles for heads of state attending the summit. In a statement, the Cabinet Division said that the government’s limited number of armoured vehicles, manufactured in 2016, do not meet the standards required for such an event.

According to the government, the figure of 45 vehicles was determined as the minimum required after discussions at several levels. It additionally plans to rent about 300 non-armoured vehicles.

The Cabinet Division stated that the summit will be attended by high-ranking officials, including heads of state, governments and international organisations. It described safe and reliable logistics as a necessary component of the event, also citing security risks that, in the government’s assessment, are created by external hostile forces.