BEIJING, Oct. 17 -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang returned to Beijing on Thursday aboard a chartered plane after attending the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Pakistan and paying an official visit to the country.

Li was seen off from the airport by Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong.