The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and international security organisation with ten member states. It was founded on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, growing out of the Shanghai Five grouping formed in 1996.

Its ten full members today are Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in June 2017, Iran joined in 2023 and Belarus became the tenth full member in 2024.

Why Pakistan is chairing it now

Pakistan took over the rotating chairmanship of the SCO in September 2026, when Kyrgyzstan handed it over at the organisation's summit in Bishkek, and will lead the organisation through 2027 and host the next meeting of its Council of Heads of State. On 2 November, Pakistan also assumed the chairmanship of the SCO Interbank Consortium for 2026-27, with Habib Bank chairman Sultan Ali Allana taking over as chairman of the consortium. Pakistan was nominated to chair the consortium's council at its annual meeting in Bishkek on 2 July 2026.

The Interbank Consortium is a platform for cooperation between the financial institutions of member states, supporting investment initiatives and economic partnerships. Pakistan's Ministry of Finance said the appointment reflects the country's growing role in promoting regional trade, investment, financial connectivity and economic cooperation. Pakistan hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad in October 2024 and also chairs the organisation's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure for 2025-26.