PM Shehbaz arrives in New York on 5-day visit ahead of UNGA session

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in New York on Tuesday on a five-day visit to the United States to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The premier is set to address a plenary meeting for the UN General Debate on September 27.

The Government of Pakistan today shared pictures of the premier’s arrival in New York on its X account, where he was received by Munir Akram, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN.

According to state-run Radio Pakistan, the prime minister will spend a busy day today, attending multiple events and meetings on his schedule.

PM Shehbaz will attend the reception given by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for the heads of member states, where he will have informal meetings with the heads of various countries.

The premier will also participate in the opening ceremony of the UNGA session.

He will also have a meeting with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, where the two leaders will discuss promotion of bilateral cooperation between their countries, Radio Pakistan stated.

Earlier today, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while speaking at the UN ‘Summit of the Future’, said no sustainable development can take place till “tragedies like Gaza are perpetuated by the developed world”.

The premier is also accompanied by information minister Attaullah Tarar, education minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.

PM to address security, climate and global flashpoints at UNGA

At the UNGA, PM Shehbaz will reaffirm Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism and support for the role of the UN in fostering global peace, security, and prosperity.

Before he departed to London 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”.

According to a curtain raiser issued by the Foreign Office last week, the prime minister is expected to emphasise the importance of addressing long-standing issues that have been on the agenda of the UN Security Council, such as the Palestine and Kashmir issues.

PM Shehbaz is also set to attend several high-level meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA session, including ‘High-Level Meeting on Existential Threat Posed by Sea-level Rise’, which will take place on Wednesday from 10am to 1pm and from 3pm to 6pm (New York time).

He will also attend the UN Security Council’s Open Debate on ‘Leadership for Peace’, which is scheduled for 11am tomorrow (New York time).

According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the premier will highlight the impacts of climate change on countries; Pakistan’s sacrifices in its fight against terrorism; challenges faced by debt-burdened countries; India’s occupation of Kashmir; and the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by Israeli forces.

PM Shehbaz is also set to meet with the UN chief; presidents of the UNGA, European Commission, and the World Bank; Bill Gates; and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the report added.

In a scheduled meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the prime minister will consult on ways to persuade the international community to accelerate its efforts to end Israel’s oppression of Palestine, APP had said.