Mohsin Naqvi says Islamabad will look like a different city before SCO conference

Mohsin Naqvi has said Islamabad will look like a different city before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference, promising a changed appearance for the capital ahead of the regional gathering.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, known as the SCO, is a regional grouping focused on security and economic cooperation. It could not be independently confirmed when or where Naqvi made the remarks about Islamabad’s appearance.

In a related report on 5 November 2026, Arab News said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had announced plans for major development projects in Islamabad before Pakistan hosts the SCO summit in August 2027. Those plans included a cricket stadium, a convention centre and a safari park that the government said would be the largest in Asia. Leaders of the 10-member grouping, which includes China, Russia and India, were expected to attend the summit, following Pakistan’s chairing of the 2024 meeting.

According to that report, Naqvi outlined the projects on Thursday at a ceremony where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated an underpass costing Rs1.45 billion, or $5.24 million. Naqvi said an international consultant had been hired for the safari park and construction was expected to start in January. He also said work on the convention centre would begin within the next 15 days.

Separately, this publication reported on 4 November 2026 that Islamabad’s Kashmir Chowk underpass had been completed in just 27 days, setting a new record for the capital. Naqvi made an unannounced late-night visit to the construction site.