Consular services to remain suspended for three days

ISLAMABAD: The consular services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will remain suspended in Islamabad from October 14 to 17 amid security reasons for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, ARY News reported.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the liaison offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Gujrat will continue to offer consular services without interruption.

The consular services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will remain suspended in connection with the SCO summit going to be held in Islamabad on October 15 and 16.

The representatives of member countries including Indian Foreign Minister Jay Shankar will be attending the summit. Besides, the leaders from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Iran would also attend the summit.

Earlier, the federal government announced three public holidays in Islamabad and Rawalpindi amid the SCO summit.

According to a notification, the public holidays have been announced in Islamabad and Rawalpindi from October 14 to 16.

The notification read that all educational institutions including schools and government offices will remain closed from October 14 to 16.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi chaired a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Interior regarding the preparations of upcoming SCO Summit.

The meeting was attended by top officials, including the Federal Secretary Interior, Additional Secretaries, Chief Commissioner Islamabad, IG Police Islamabad, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Deputy Commandant FC, Sector Commander Pakistan Rangers, and representatives from security agencies.

During the meeting, security arrangements for the SCO Summit were reviewed in detail. The interior minister approved a comprehensive plan to ensure foolproof security during the summit. He emphasized the significance of hosting the SCO Summit in Pakistan, stating that several heads of state will attend.