Islamabad was placed under lockdown Friday as Pakistan hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and China’s Li Qiang on his first visit as a Chinese premier to the country in 11 years.
The government had declared a three-day public holiday in the city, with schools and businesses shut and large contingents of police and paramilitary forces deployed.
Islamabad is under lockdown as Pakistan hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Just days ahead of the Pakistan visit by Li, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed apprehensions that the country could face significant damage in Kashmir due to the prospective changes in India.
The development comes as Pakistan is holding the SCO meeting today and tomorrow in its capital. A slew of high-profile leaders will attend, including India’s S Jaishankar, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greeted Li, who will also make a four-day bilateral visit, at the airport.
The government has declared a three-day public holiday in Islamabad, with schools and businesses shut and large contingents of police and paramilitary forces deployed.
The SCO was formed in 2001 to promote closer cooperation among the member states in political, economic, and security spheres.
Pakistan, China, India, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus are among the 16 member-states, while 16 others are affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners.”
Let’s examine how the SCO summit and the Chinese Premier’s visit have locked Islamabad down.
