ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Tajikistan’s capital on Monday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government summit, the foreign office said, as Islamabad eyes greater trade, investment and connectivity with regional states.

Dar arrived in Dushanbe where he will attend the two-day summit from Oct. 19-20. The meeting is being attended by the prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the vice president of Iran and India’s external affairs minister.

For Pakistan, the summit is an important opportunity to expand trade and connectivity with Central Asian states. Pakistan has sought to improve transport and transit routes, and expanding access to regional markets through its seaports. The CASA-1000 project, which aims to build a power line through which excess power from Central Asia can be transported to Pakistan and Afghanistan, is an example of the cooperation that Islamabad seeks from the region.

Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, met Tajik PM Qohir Rasulzoda after arriving in Dushanbe.

“The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, defense and culture, as well as promoting people-to-people exchanges,” the Pakistani foreign office said.

“They also underscored the importance of cooperation on climate change and water security.”

The two also discussed regional developments, with Dar reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to working closely with Tajikistan to promote regional peace and deeper economic integration.

The Pakistani deputy PM separately met Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on the sidelines of the SCO summit. They exchanged views on regional developments and Pakistan-China bilateral ties, Pakistan’s foreign office said.

Dar later attended a banquet dinner hosted by Rasulzoda for the heads of the delegations attending the SCO meeting.

The SCO was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India became full members in 2017, Iran joined in 2023 and Belarus became the bloc’s 10th member in 2024.

In September, Pakistan took over the 2026-27 chairmanship at an SCO leaders’ summit in Bishkek and will oversee the organization’s program until it hosts the next Council of Heads of State summit in Islamabad next year.