Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday attended the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games in Bishkek, where he is currently on a three-day official visit to participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) Meeting. Upon his arrival at the ceremony, the prime minister was received by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also attended the ceremony.
A contingent of Pakistani athletes is also participating in the Nomad Games. Upon the arrival of the Pakistani contingent, PM Shehbaz stood up to applaud and pay tribute to them. The spectators present in the stadium also cheered for them. The World Nomad Games are a cultural and sporting festival centred on traditional nomadic sports, particularly those of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia. Athletes from 104 countries have registered, organisers said, for the sixth edition of the World Nomad Games, which were founded in 2014. Events include horseback archery, wrestling and board games traditional to nomadic Central Asian cultures. The ceremony featured musical performances and Olympic-style parades by national teams.
Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz landed in Bishkek for a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Kyrgyz president. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev welcomed the prime minister upon his arrival at the Manas International Airport in Bishkek, it added. During the visit from August 31 to September 2, PM Shehbaz will address the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and present Pakistan's stance on various regional and global issues, according to a statement issued by the PM Office. PM Shehbaz is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communication Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and senior officials during the visit.
In an earlier statement, the Foreign Office said that the prime minister will participate in the SCO Plus Summit and assume Pakistan's chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-2027. On the sidelines of the SCO engagements, PM Shehbaz will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries. On September 2, the premier will hold bilateral discussions with President Zhaparov on the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations, according to the FO. The two sides will comprehensively review Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.