Islamabad (GNP): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday for a four-day visit to Pakistan. He is due to meet the country’s top leadership and discuss regional and global issues.
His schedule includes meetings with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. He will also meet other senior government officials.
The visit comes as the UN publicly acknowledges Pakistan’s diplomatic role abroad. Guterres has praised Islamabad’s efforts in the Middle East conflict, which contributed to the Memorandum of Understanding that established a ceasefire.
Last month, the UN chief addressed that conflict again. At his final press conference before the 81st UN General Assembly high-level debate, he called for a return to dialogue after the ceasefire broke down.
That theme will carry into the talks in Islamabad. The visit offers the secretary-general a chance to discuss Pakistan’s diplomatic and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, including its constructive role in supporting negotiations between the two countries.
Beyond diplomacy, the trip has a practical side. Guterres last visited Pakistan in 2022, when monsoon floods affected large parts of the country. According to a UN statement, that visit was an expression of solidarity with the affected communities.
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This time, he will return to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). There he is expected to see the progress Pakistan has made in strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience since the 2022 floods.
The programme also takes him to the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Islamabad. The UN mission monitors the Line of Control in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
The visit also comes near the end of his tenure. Guterres is expected to step down at the end of this year after completing two five-year terms as secretary-general.
UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Pakistan’s record of serving under the UN flag and mediating between parties is “one of Pakistan’s greatest contributions to our shared world.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
