PM Shehbaz to land in New York tonight to address 79th UNGA session
· DAWN.COMPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to arrive in New York on Monday night on a five-day visit to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
On Saturday, the premier arrived in London for a two-day visit ahead of his trip to New York.
Before he departed from Islamabad last week, PM Shehbaz said in a post on X that he would “present Pakistan’s perspective to the world, advocate our interests, and strengthen international partnerships.”
The premier is set to address several high-level meetings, including the ‘high-level meeting on existential threat posed by sea-level rise’, ‘SDG Moment 2024’, and the UN Security Council’s open debate on ‘Leadership for Peace’, APP said, quoting a press release from the PM Office.
During his visit, PM Shehbaz will highlight the impacts of climate change on countries; Pakistan’s sacrifices in its fight against terrorism; challenges faced by the debt-burdened countries; India’s occupation of Kashmir; and the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces, the report added.
The prime minister will interact with members of the US-Pakistan Business Council and Pakistani bankers to apprise them of his government’s pro-business and investment policies, the APP said.
Additionally, the premier is set to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; presidents of the UN General Assembly, European Commission, and the World Bank; Bill Gates; and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
In a scheduled meeting with Palestinian President Mehmood Abbas, PM Shehbaz will consult on ways to persuade the international community to accelerate its efforts to end Israel’s oppression of Palestine.
The prime minister will also attend a luncheon reception by Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah on the completion of 40 years of his country’s UN membership, as well as a dinner reception by Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Dr Muhammad Yunus to mark 50 years of his country’s UN membership.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, Federal Education and Professional Training Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the prime minister to New York, the report said.