UN Chief Antonio Guterres Concludes Three-Day Pakistan Visit, Receives Nishan-e-Imtiaz

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has concluded his three-day visit to Pakistan and departed Islamabad, the Foreign Office said. During the visit, he was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz by President Asif Ali Zardari in recognition of his services to global peace, and held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the visit reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the UN Charter, multilateralism and global peace.

Meeting With the President

At the meeting with President Zardari, the UN chief’s leadership and role in advancing international cooperation were recognised, and he received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

Talks With Ishaq Dar

Guterres and Dar discussed a range of regional and international issues, including Kashmir, Palestine and Afghanistan. The talks also covered counter-terrorism, regional and global peace, and climate change, according to the Foreign Office.

Meeting With Mohsin Naqvi

Guterres’s meeting with Naqvi focused on the global and regional situation and UN peacekeeping missions. Naqvi highlighted Pakistan’s contribution to UN peacekeeping, saying 181 Pakistani personnel had lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping missions. The UN secretary-general appreciated Pakistan’s role in peacekeeping, the Foreign Office said.

Foreign Office View

The Foreign Office spokesperson described the visit as a manifestation of Pakistan’s commitment to the UN Charter and the multilateral system, and as recognition of Guterres’s leadership and services for global peace.