ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Governments meeting in October this year, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.

During her weekly press briefing, she stated that before October summit, there would be ministerial meeting and multiple rounds of senior officials meetings to concentrate on fostering cooperation in finance, economics, socio-cultural affairs and humanitarian efforts among SCO member countries. She told media that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior Cabinet members recently visited Kazakhstan for SCO Council of Heads of State and SCO Plus Summits in Kazakhstan and also Tajikistan to bilateral visit. She said Palestinian students from Gaza in batches of 20-30 will soon join medical colleges in Pakistan. Decision will enable Gaza students to complete their medical education in Pakistan in fields of cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, paediatrics and surgery to address the critical needs in Gaza’s health care system.

Commenting on recent International Religious Freedom report, she expressed that unilateral reports assessing other countries’ human rights situations were not free from political bias and presented an incomplete and distorted picture. Methodology adopted in preparing these reports and mandate and expertise of its authors are not transparent, she added. She told media that Indian authorities’ campaign to crush dissent in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir remained relentless. She told prominent Kashmiri lawyer and former President of High Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom has recently been arrested on fabricated charges. He suffers from multiple chronic ailments and old age. Spokesperson said Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri people for just and peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions. Commenting on Pak-India relations, she said Pakistan and India exchanged lists of prisoners in each other’s custody in pursuance of Consular Access Agreement of 2008. She said Pakistan handed over list of 254 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistani jails. India shared list of 452 Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in Indian jails. Spokesperson highlighted participation of Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Ali Khan Durrani along with delegation in Doha-III meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, held under UN auspices in Doha from 30 June to 2 July 2024. Vowing stable Afghanistan she said, bilateral meeting between Pakistan and Afghan Interim Government was held on July 1, 2024. Two sides exchanged views on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security.