Islamabad: Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for a one-year term following the two-day SCO Council of Heads of State Summit commencing in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Monday.

According to Radio Pakistan, at a weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi announced that Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif will visit Bishkek to participate in the summit and engage in bilateral meetings with the Kyrgyz leadership. Andrabi highlighted that the SCO Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad next year will be a significant event during Pakistan's chairmanship.

Addressing other matters, Andrabi stated that Pakistan acknowledges the Afghan interim government's proposal for a bilateral mechanism to address contentious issues, emphasizing the need for tangible actions over mere assurances. Andrabi stressed the importance of Kabul honoring its international commitments, particularly under the Doha framework, to prevent hostile proxies from using Afghan soil against Pakistan.

The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan's commitment to institutional coordination, contingent on effective counter-terrorism measures and border management. Additionally, Andrabi confirmed Pakistan's active role in mediating Middle Eastern and Gulf crises, as well as the standoff between the United States and Iran, noting the recent visit of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to Iran was in line with these efforts.

In response to inquiries about claims made by the former Indian Chief of Defence Staff regarding Kirana Hills, Andrabi rejected these assertions, pointing to Pakistan's successful defense network during Marka-e-Haq and subsequent operations under Bunyan-um-Marsoos. He affirmed that no strategic asset or infrastructure was compromised and criticized attempts to alter historical facts through dramatized narratives.