PM Shehbaz pitches water security, AI agenda for SCO chairmanship

Mettis Global reported that Pakistan formally took over the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for 2026-2027 at a Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The term is framed around connectivity, innovation and shared prosperity. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov chaired the session, as his country held the rotating presidency for 2025-26.

A proposed action plan for the chairmanship names digital technology, artificial intelligence, energy, poverty alleviation, emergency preparedness, healthcare, cultural affairs and sport as priority areas. It also floats a governance framework for sovereign AI infrastructure, aimed at responsible and inclusive development that leaves no member behind. The plan also highlights CPEC as a conduit tying the wider region to the Arabian Sea, alongside rail, road and energy projects.

Sharif stressed that water must never be used as a tool of political pressure, and that shared-water treaties are binding commitments to be honoured fully. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on regional de-escalation was cited as the most viable route to lasting peace, following an earlier crisis this year in which an SCO member's sovereignty was breached, hurting energy routes and the world economy. The next SCO Plus meeting is due in Islamabad in 2027.