Islamabad: Foreign Office (FO) has said Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the organisation of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) .

Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif will represent Pakistan in

SCO Council of Heads of State Summit taking place in Bishkek on August 31.

Pakistan will host the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit to be held in Islamabad next year.

Pakistan is not bound to follow unilateral restrictions on Iran. However if the curbs are imposed by UN then the matter will be different. Pakistan has always opposed the unilateral steps outside UN.

This was said by FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said during weekly press briefing Thursday.

He said Pakistan is continuing its efforts for defusing tension in Western Asia and durable peace in the region. Iranian leadership has appreciated Pakistan's efforts for defusing tension and for peace.

He said Pakistan-Iran trade has by and large remained robust and there is a desire in Pakistan to expand this trade.

He hoped that as part of the wider settlement of US-Iran standoff, the economic issues will also be settled in the long run.

Responding to a question, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said Pakistan notes the proposal by the interim Afghan government's Interior Minister for a dedicated bilateral mechanism to address contentious issues. He said Pakistan remains open to state-level dialogue. However, the sustainability of any mechanism will depend on tangible actions, rather than mere assurances.

Tahir Andrabi emphasized that Kabul must honour its international commitments, including those under the Doha framework, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by hostile proxies, particularly the TTP and BLA against Pakistan. He said Pakistan remains ready for institutional coordination, provided it results in tangible and verifiable counter-terrorism measures and effective border management.

Rejecting the media report of undertaking Iran visit by Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as envoy of US president Trump has said information linking this visit to US are baseless.

He said the visit of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to Iran was undertaken purely in the context and backdrop of Pakistan's ongoing role as a mediator.

To another question, the Spokesperson categorically rejected the self-contradictory and retrospective claims made by the former Indian Chief of Defence Staff regarding Kirana Hills, near Sargodha.

He said during Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan's layered air defence network effectively thwarted India's military objectives, while Pakistan's subsequent response under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos demonstrated the ability to impose cost across the conflict spectrum.

Tahir Andrabi said no strategic asset or sensitive infrastructure was compromised in Pakistan.

He said attempts to retrospectively recast these events through selective narrative or dramatised production cannot alter the verifiable operational record of May last year. He said history is established by facts and evidence, not by Bollywood-style retrospective claims.

He said Pakistan supports independence of Syria, regional security and sovereignty.

On 22 August, 11 Muslim countries condemned Israeli attack on Syria. Israeli attack on air port of Syria is violation of sovereignty of Syria.