UN chief due in Pakistan next week for 4-day visit

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan on Monday confirmed that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive for a four-day visit to Islamabad on Sunday.

"The Secretary-General will participate in the ‘International Conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan: A New Partnership for Solidarity’ and will deliver a keynote address," said a Foreign Ministry statement.

Guterres’ participation in the conference is in recognition of Pakistan’s exemplary compassion, generosity, and resolve in hosting Afghan refugees for the past four decades and its efforts for peace and stability in neighboring Afghanistan, the statement added.

During his visit, Guterres will call on both President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During his stay in the capital Islamabad, he will also meet with Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

According to the ministry, Guterres will also meet with parliamentarians, media, and young people and deliver special talks on sustainable development, climate change, and peacekeeping.

He will visit to the northeastern historical city of Lahore and will also travel to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahibm, a holy site for Sikhs.

"During the visit, our leadership will share Pakistan’s perspective on all aspects of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," the statement said, referring to a Muslim-majority area under Indian government lockdown since last August.