Pakistan to Host SCO Heads of Governments Meeting in October

Islamabad: Pakistan is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO Heads of Governments meeting in October this year, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced on Thursday.

During the weekly press briefing, Baloch mentioned that before the October SCO Heads of Governments Meeting, there would be a ministerial meeting and multiple rounds of senior officials meetings to enhance cooperation in finance, economics, socio-cultural affairs, and humanitarian efforts among SCO member countries.

She highlighted that 2024 marks a significant milestone in Pakistan’s relationship with the SCO, with Pakistan assuming the rotational Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), the organisation’s second most critical decision-making body.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior cabinet members are currently visiting Kazakhstan for the SCO Council of Heads of State and SCO Plus Summits. Earlier, they visited Tajikistan for a bilateral engagement. During the SCO Summit in Astana, the prime minister also participated in the inaugural Pakistan-Azerbaijan-Turkey Trilateral Summit. In Dushanbe, discussions focused on enhancing comprehensive cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

During the visit, Pakistan and Tajikistan signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which includes scheduled high-level dialogues involving leaders and Foreign Ministers.

Government Offers Education to Palestinian Students

Baloch revealed that the government has allowed medical students from Gaza to complete their medical education in Pakistan. This decision, made on the directions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and facilitated by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC), aims to help Gaza students continue their medical education in Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.

Palestinian students from Gaza will join medical colleges in Pakistan in batches of 20-30. They will study in fields such as cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, paediatrics, and surgery to address critical needs in Gaza’s healthcare system.

‘International Religious Freedom Report Biased’

Commenting on a recent International Religious Freedom report, Baloch expressed that unilateral reports assessing other countries’ human rights situations are often politically biased and present an incomplete and distorted picture. She criticized the methodology and transparency of these reports, stating, “It is unfortunate that the report refers to certain incidents in Pakistan last year without highlighting the strong political will shown by the government to hold the perpetrators accountable as well as the remedial efforts undertaken and the legal and administrative protections in place for religious minorities.”

She emphasized that such reports cannot be viewed from the lens of any single country’s social and legal perspective.

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‘Kashmiris’ Arrests Clear Act of Political Vendetta’

Baloch condemned the ongoing campaign by Indian authorities to suppress dissent in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). She highlighted the recent arrest of prominent Kashmiri lawyer and former President of the High Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom, on fabricated charges. Qayoom, who suffers from multiple chronic ailments and old age, is a victim of political vendetta, she stated.

“We urge the Indian authorities to release Mian Abdul Qayoom and thousands of other Kashmiri political prisoners, dissenters, and human rights defenders,” Baloch said.

She reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to extending political, diplomatic, and moral support to the Kashmiri people for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions.