https://arab.news/nuu6z
- Shehbaz Sharif will attend a meeting on rising sea levels and participate in an open Security Council debate
- He was expected to be accompanied by Deputy PM Dar, who is now staying back due to other engagements
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday departed the country to attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he is scheduled to arrive on September 23 and stay until September 27.
The UNGA holds annual sessions, bringing together world leaders to discuss pressing global concerns.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, Sharif will use this platform to stress the need for addressing long-standing issues on the Security Council’s agenda, particularly the question of Palestine and the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remain central to international and South Asian peace and stability.
“Departing for New York to represent Pakistan at the 79th UN General Assembly,” the prime minister announced in a social media post on X. “Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements.”
“During our interactions we will take up global issues, promoting peace, development & climate action,” he added. “Will present Pakistan’s perspective to the world, advocate our interests & strengthen international partnerships.”
According to local media, Sharif will first arrive in the United Kingdom, where he will have a brief stay before departing for New York.
He is scheduled to attend several important meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA session, including one on the existential threat posed by rising sea levels and the UN Security Council’s open debate on leadership for peace.
His program also includes bilateral meetings with world leaders and members of the Pakistani diaspora.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a brief statement that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who was previously expected to accompany Sharif, will not participate in the UNGA session.
“In view of some important upcoming diplomatic engagements and the ongoing preparations for the 23rd Meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will not proceed to New York for the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,” Baloch said in a statement.
“Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif’s program for participation in the UNGA Session remains unchanged,” she added.