Khawaja Asif, Rajnath Singh to attend SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Bishkek

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will represent the country at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for April 28 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Asif is expected to lead Pakistan’s delegation and address key regional issues, including security challenges, counter-terrorism efforts, and extremism. Pakistan has consistently emphasised collective action against the “three evils”, terrorism, separatism, and extremism, within the SCO framework.

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also departing for Bishkek to attend the same meeting. Singh is likely to reiterate India’s strong stance on zero tolerance for terrorism and cross-border threats during the discussions.

Both ministers will be present at the multilateral forum, which includes defence chiefs from all SCO member states: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (host), Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. The meeting will focus on regional peace, military cooperation, and joint strategies to combat security threats.

However, no bilateral meeting has been scheduled between Khawaja Asif and Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the event. In previous SCO gatherings, including the 2025 meeting in Qingdao, China, the two ministers attended the same sessions and group photo but held no formal one-on-one talks, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Foreign Office at the time.

The SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting provides a platform for member states to discuss evolving global and regional security dynamics amid ongoing international challenges.