UN chief’s visit: Ban Ki-moon to arrive in Pakistan today

UN secretary general will be the chief guest at flag-hoisting ceremony on August 14.


Our Correspondent August 13, 2013
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will kick off a two-day official visit to Pakistan on August 13-14 at the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day, the Foreign Office said in a statement.


Ban will be the chief guest at the flag-hoisting ceremony in Islamabad on August 14, it said.

The UN chief is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Senate Chairman Nayyar Husain Bukhari and Adviser to the PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

He will also attend a briefing at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), where he will be meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Foreign Office stated.



“Pakistan attaches great significance to the United Nations and accords high importance to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visit during which views will be exchanged on important global and regional issues,” the statement ran.

During his stay, Ban will discuss steps for polio eradication and promotion of education, especially women education, with Pakistani leadership.

The UN secretary general will also meet the families of the polio workers slain in attacks across the country and attend a programme organised by Unicef.

The secretary general will inaugurate the Centre for International Peace and Stability at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad and will also attend an event on youth and education to deliver a lecture on UN’s launched global education first initiative programme.

Indo-Pak tensions at LoC

Officials at the Foreign Office UN desk shared that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is also curious to discuss Indo-Pak ties with the Pakistan leadership to ease the escalating tensions at Line of Control and border areas shared by the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2013.

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