KARACHI: Pakistan’s top economic decision-making body has approved a grant of Rs6.6 billion [$23.8 million] to buy 30 bullet-proof vehicles for next year’s Shanghai Cooperation of Organization (SCO) scheduled to be hosted by Islamabad, the Finance Division said on Monday.

The SCO is a regional alliance that has 10 member states, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and a few Central Asian states. Countries that are part of the alliance collectively represent about 25 percent of the global GDP and seek to promote regional cooperation, economic growth and development.

Pakistan assumed the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-2027 earlier this month as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended a summit of the alliance in Bishkek. Pakistan will host a meeting of the Council of Heads of State in September next year.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet met under the chair of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to discuss a summary from the Cabinet Division. The summary sought approval of Rs12.6 billion [$45.4 million] for the bullet-proof vehicles.

“The ECC discussed the proposal in detail and after due deliberation approved TSG of Rs 6.6 billion [$23.8 million] for the purchase of 30 bullet-proof vehicles and asked the Cabinet Division to revert with additional requirement,” the Finance Division said.

The committee also directed the Cabinet Division to conduct an in-depth need analysis for any further demand, and bring up the case again if required, the Finance Division said.

Pakistan hosted the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad from Oct. 15-16 in 2027. Stringent security measures were taken for the meeting, with the government declaring a three-day holiday in Islamabad. Schools and businesses were closed due to security concerns ahead of the high-profile event.

The event was attended by the prime ministers of China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, along with India’s foreign minister.

Security has been an ongoing problem for Pakistan for a few years now, with the South Asian country suffering suicide attacks from militant groups in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

A decades-long insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militants has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad is also battling a surge in militancy in the province bordering Afghanistan. Here, the Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants have increased attacks against security forces since November 2022 after a fragile truce between both sides broke down.