The capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, was placed under tight security on Monday during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. This is the first visit of a Chinese premier to Pakistan in 11 years, as Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally welcomed him at the airport, reports "Reuters", quoted by BTA.
The Pakistani government has declared a three-day public holiday in Islamabad, closing schools and businesses and deploying large contingents of police and paramilitary forces on the streets. The army assumed responsibility for security in the Red Zone of the capital, where the main meetings will be held.
Security has been beefed up after recent attacks, including the killing of two Chinese engineers and the shooting of 21 miners, fueling further anxiety ahead of the summit. The meeting will be attended by high-ranking representatives from nine SCO member countries, including China, India, Iran and Russia.
Li Qiang will stay in Pakistan for a four-day bilateral visit, during which he will discuss economic and trade relations, as well as cooperation on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Part of the visit includes the inauguration of the new international airport in Gwadar, funded under the CPEC line.
At the same time in northwestern Pakistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, gunmen attacked a police headquarters, killing three policemen. The Islamist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.