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Chinese Premier Li Qiang is set to arrive in Islamabad on Monday on a four-day bilateral visit, during which he will also attend the much-anticipated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
His visit comes as Pakistan prepares to host the 23rd SCO Meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government on Oct 15 and 16 amid stringent security measures.
According to a Dawn report, a four-member delegation from India, 76 delegates from Russia, 15 representatives from China, a two-member team from Iran and a four-member delegation from Kyrgyzstan reached Islamabad on Sunday.
The Army has already been called in to provide security for the event, as well as key government buildings and the Red Zone. Rangers have already been deployed in the capital and the government has announced three days of public holidays.
According to a Foreign Office statement, Premier Li will call on President Asif Ali Zardari and hold meetings with parliamentary leaders and senior military leadership of the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Premier Li Qiang “will lead their respective delegations to comprehensively discuss all aspects of Pakistan-China relations including economic and trade ties and cooperation under CPEC”, the FO said.
Premier Li will be accompanied by ministers and senior officials including from the ministries of foreign affairs and commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the FO added.
It termed the Chinese official’s visit as “an expression of the importance attached by Pakistan and China to their ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’”.
“It will be an occasion for the two sides to reaffirm mutual support on issues of core interest; advance high-quality development of CPEC; and reinforce regular exchanges on important regional and global developments,” the statement read.
Li’s visit comes just days after the Oct 6 suicide attack near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport which killed two Chinese nationals and injured 11 others, including another Chinese citizen.
As China sought a thorough probe into the attack, PM Shehbaz assured the Chinese government of personally overseeing the investigation into the incident.
China said on Thursday it would work with Pakistan to protect the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects and institutions in Pakistan.
More to follow
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