PM Shehbaz welcomes state dignitaries to SCO dinner

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a dinner on Tuesday, welcoming dignitaries from various member states on the first day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
Pakistan became a full member of the SCO at its 2017 summit in Kazakhstan, which was attended by ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, who recently also expressed hope for reviving ties with India.
As the current Chair of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the summit.
Right before the SCO dinner, footage from the venue showed PM Shehbaz welcoming and shaking hands with dignitaries, including India’s Jaishankar, with whom he also held a brief conversation.
Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan today — the first such visit in nearly a decade.