Islamabad: Pakistan’s Foreign Office has announced that 2024 marks a significant milestone as Pakistan takes on the rotational Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG), the organisation’s second most critical decision-making body.
During a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch shared that Pakistan will host the SCO’s Heads of Governments meeting in October this year. Prior to the October summit, there will be a ministerial meeting and several senior officials’ meetings focused on enhancing cooperation in finance, economics, socio-cultural affairs, and humanitarian efforts among SCO member countries.
Baloch highlighted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with senior cabinet members, is currently visiting Kazakhstan for the SCO Council of Heads of State and SCO Plus Summits. During this visit, the prime minister also took part in the inaugural Pakistan-Azerbaijan-Turkey Trilateral Summit.
In addition to Kazakhstan, the prime minister’s delegation visited Tajikistan for a bilateral visit aimed at strengthening comprehensive cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan on regional and global issues of mutual interest. During this visit, Pakistan and Tajikistan signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement, which includes scheduled high-level dialogues involving leaders and Foreign Ministers.
Education Opportunities for Palestinian Students
The Foreign Office also announced that the Pakistani government has offered medical students from Gaza the opportunity to complete their education in Pakistan. This decision, made on humanitarian grounds, was directed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and facilitated by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC). Palestinian students from Gaza will be admitted in batches of 20-30 to medical colleges in Pakistan, enabling them to study in fields such as cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, paediatrics, and surgery to address critical healthcare needs in Gaza.
Critique of International Religious Freedom Report
Commenting on a recent International Religious Freedom report, the spokesperson described it as politically biased and presenting an incomplete and distorted picture of the situation in Pakistan. She emphasized that the methodology of the report and the expertise of its authors lack transparency and do not fully account for the government’s efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and provide protections for religious minorities.
Kashmir Issue
The Foreign Office condemned the arrest of prominent Kashmiri lawyer Mian Abdul Qayoom on fabricated charges, describing it as a political vendetta. Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to extending political, diplomatic, and moral support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions.
