Pakistan Begins Preparations for 2027 SCO Heads of State Summit; Indian Participation in Focus
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun preparations for hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit in Islamabad in 2027, with the participation of member-state diplomats already featuring in preliminary coordination efforts.
Pakistan’s National Coordinator for SCO Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Muhammad Faisal, has been leading coordination on SCO-related matters. The Foreign Office currently lists Dr. Muhammad Faisal as Pakistan’s National Coordinator for the SCO.
At a preparatory meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on August 19, 2025, ambassadors and chargé d’affaires of SCO member states accredited to Pakistan, along with senior Foreign Office officials, discussed organisational matters concerning Pakistan’s upcoming SCO responsibilities and the 2027 summit.
Representatives from Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Uzbekistan, as well as diplomatic representatives of China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, participated in the discussions, according to the information provided for the meeting.
The participation of India’s diplomatic representative was particularly notable against the backdrop of strained bilateral relations. It also follows India’s decision to participate in the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad in October 2024.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the October 2024 SCO meeting in Islamabad, marking the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade. India had made clear ahead of the visit that Jaishankar’s participation was limited to the multilateral SCO engagement, with no bilateral talks planned.
The question of Indian representation at the 2027 Heads of State Summit could therefore attract particular diplomatic attention. Unlike the 2024 meeting of heads of government, the 2027 gathering will be a summit of heads of state, potentially raising questions over whether India will be represented by its president, another senior official, or through a different arrangement.
Pakistan’s preparations have since moved into a more formal phase. In May 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reviewed preparations for Pakistan’s assumption of the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026–27 and directed ministries and departments to ensure comprehensive coordination for the 2027 summit.
In July 2026, the fourth meeting of the SCO Follow-up Committee reviewed progress on the summit’s venue, accommodation, security, finance, media management, transport and logistics, with Dar directing the relevant sub-committees to accelerate preparations.
Pakistan’s upcoming chairmanship builds on its recent engagement within the organisation. Islamabad hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in October 2024 and assumed the chairmanship of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) for 2025–26, with Pakistan pledging to promote regional cooperation against terrorism and extremism.
The 2027 summit is also expected to place significant logistical demands on Islamabad. Preparations have included consideration of additional convention facilities and broader infrastructure and security arrangements to accommodate visiting heads of state and their delegations.
For Pakistan, the summit will provide an opportunity to advance its priorities of regional connectivity, economic cooperation, trade, security and multilateral engagement. For India, its eventual level of representation could offer an important indication of how New Delhi approaches participation in a multilateral forum hosted by Pakistan amid continuing bilateral tensions.
Pakistan is scheduled to assume the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship in September 2026 and host the summit in Islamabad in 2027.
