Aik aur language: Shehbaz interacts with diplomats in Tajiki

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, September 15, reached Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to attend the annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) during a two-day visit.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif are also accompanying the premier. Uzbekistan PM Abdulla Aripov received Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival at the airport.

Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov receives Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at Samarqand International Airport pic.twitter.com/0WT4zlI7iH

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 15, 2022

On the first day of his two-day visit, the Prime Minister will hold separate meetings with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.

The Prime Minister is expected to meet other world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

PM Shehbaz met President of Tajikistan H.E Emamoli Rahmon in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meets President of Tajikistan H.E Emamoli Rahmon in Samarqand, Uzbekistan. pic.twitter.com/7a0JHHCej7

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 15, 2022

PM Shehbaz also interacted with officials in Tajiki, before starting the formal meeting with the president. PM’s Focal Person on Digital Media, Muhammad Abubakar Umer, shared the video on his Twitter account.

Read more: Exclusive: You will not believe how many languages PM Shehbaz Sharif can speak

Here comes another language by the 🇵🇰 PM. Just before the start of their formal meeting with the President of Tajikistan, ⁦@CMShehbaz⁩ briefly interacted in Tajiki language. #SCOSummitSamarkand pic.twitter.com/eApfOSdREa

— Abubakar Umer (@abubakarumer) September 15, 2022

pic.twitter.com/1JW3vJRR5I

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 15, 2022

The premier and Russian President H.E Vladimir Putin shook hands ahead of their meeting in Uzbekistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President H.E Vladimir Putin shake hands ahead of their meeting in Samarqand Uzbekistan. pic.twitter.com/lQHKeGEfQe

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 15, 2022

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meets President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi in Samarqand, Uzbekistan pic.twitter.com/0KvgQNmoQc

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 15, 2022

Before the summit, there was speculation that Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, who is also attending the summit, would hold bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart.

However, Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar told Dawn thar PM Shehbaz had no plans to meet Modi.

It is being said that a brief courtesy meeting between the two was possible, however, they would not be holding talks as none of the sides had sought a meeting.