UN Chief António Guterres Reaches Islamabad for Three-Day Pakistan Visit
UN chief will meet Pakistan’s top leadership, visit NDMA and UNMOGIP headquarters during his October 6–8 official engagements.
ISLAMABAD: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to Pakistan, beginning a series of high-level engagements focused on Pakistan-UN cooperation, regional and international developments, multilateral diplomacy and disaster preparedness.
Guterres is visiting Pakistan from October 6 to 8 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Upon arrival in the federal capital, he was received by Acting Foreign Secretary Ambassador Nabeel Munir, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Guterres to Meet Top Pakistani Leadership
During his stay, the UN Secretary-General is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
The Foreign Office said the visit would provide Pakistan and the United Nations an opportunity to exchange views on major regional and international developments while highlighting Islamabad’s longstanding cooperation with the UN and its commitment to a multilateral international system.
UN Chief to Visit NDMA, UNMOGIP
A key part of Guterres’ Islamabad programme will be a visit to the National Disaster Management Authority, where he is expected to receive a briefing on Pakistan’s progress in disaster preparedness, resilience and early-warning capabilities. The United Nations said Guterres would review developments made in these areas since the devastating 2022 floods.
Guterres will also visit the Islamabad headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). The mission has maintained a presence in the region for decades as part of the UN’s monitoring mandate.
First Pakistan Visit Since 2022
The visit marks Guterres’ first trip to Pakistan since 2022, when he travelled to flood-affected areas and drew international attention to the scale of the climate-related disaster and Pakistan’s recovery requirements.
The Islamabad trip also follows Guterres’ recent interaction with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, where the two discussed multilateralism, international peace and development, and regional and global developments.
According to the Foreign Office, the three-day visit is also expected to underscore Pakistan’s support for the United Nations system and provide a platform for discussions on strengthening international cooperation, peace, development and preparedness against future disasters.
