Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar wrapped up a one-day trip to Istanbul on Monday, where he took part in the first-ever meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee. The body was set up under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Following the meeting, Dar left Istanbul for Bishkek, travelling alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Defence Minister Yasar Güler. The trip to Kyrgyzstan is aimed at joining the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting and the accompanying SCO Plus Summit.
Bilateral Talks and Committee Meeting in Istanbul
While in Istanbul, Dar also sat down for a one-on-one meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, according to a statement released by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.
The Strategic Political and Defence Committee session brought together Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, marking the panel’s inaugural gathering under the defence framework agreed upon by the three nations.
Ishaq Dar to Join PM Shehbaz for SCO Engagements
From Istanbul, the Ishaq Dar Istanbul visit transitions directly into a broader diplomatic push, as the deputy prime minister travels on to Bishkek to join Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and the rest of the Pakistani delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting and SCO Plus Summit.
Dar is expected to remain at the prime minister’s side throughout the Bishkek leg of the trip, including a bilateral meeting scheduled for September 2 with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. That discussion will focus on strengthening Pakistan Kyrgyzstan relations and identifying new areas for cooperation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Sharif’s official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic runs from August 31 to September 2, 2026. During this trip, Pakistan is set to formally take over the Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the 2026-27 term.