Pakistan’s foreign minister says Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate will arrive in the capital, Islamabad, on a four-day visit next week.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Friday the royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will arrive in Pakistan on Oct. 14.
He said the visit will further improve ties between Pakistan and Britain.
Qureshi said Prince William’s mother Princess Diana visited Pakistan in the 1990s to participate in a fund-raising event for a cancer hospital built by Imran Khan, now Pakistan’s prime minister.
Qureshi said Pakistanis still fondly remember Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997.
Kensington Palace has described as the most complex tour undertaken by the couple, given the security and logistical issues.
The five-day visit comes as Britain seeks to reinvigorate its foreign relationships with Brexit looming, while Pakistan works to repair its global image to boost tourism and investment.
It will be the first visit to Pakistan by members of the British royal family in more than a decade, after royal heir Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in 2006.
William and Kate arrive on Monday on a trip that will include the mountainous north, the capital Islamabad and the city of Lahore, with a focus on climate change, access to education and security.
“This is the most complex tour undertaken by the duke and duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations,” their communications secretary said.
The visit, at the request of the British foreign office, represents a soft power push, foreign policy experts and officials say, which may help both sides further their diplomatic aims.
Prince William, Kate start four-day Pakistan visit on Oct 14
Prince William, Kate start four-day Pakistan visit on Oct 14
- Kensington Palace has described it as the most "complex tour" undertaken by the couple
- It will be the first visit to Pakistan by members of the British royal family in more than a decade
Pakistan pushes for Chinese investment in export-oriented sectors
- China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with its exports to Islamabad standing at $19.62 billion in 2024
- Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi holds meetings with honorary investment councilors in China
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi met honorary investment councilors (HIC) this week to review their role in advancing trade and people-to-people linkages, urging them to mobilize investments from Beijing in Islamabad’s export-oriented sectors, the Press Information Department (PID) said.
Pakistan views China as an important strategic ally and investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.
China is also Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with its exports to Pakistan surging from $16.67 billion in 2023 to $19.62 billion in 2024, as per official data.
Hashmi held private meetings with HICs in China on Monday and a working luncheon to take stock of their work, strengthen coordination and set priorities for 2026, the PID said in a press release.
“He encouraged them to synergize their efforts with Pakistan’s national development priorities and mobilize Chinese investments in export-oriented sectors of Pakistan,” the statement said.
The Pakistani ambassador urged the HICs to prioritize channeling investments in 21 priority sectors of the economy through joint ventures to boost productive capacities, calling on them to integrate investments with human capital development.
Hashmi informed the HICs that the two business-to-business investment conferences held in Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Beijing, as well as six sectoral investment roadshows since last year cumulatively yielded the signing of over 300 memoranda of understanding and 25 joint ventures worth $11 billion.
“The HICs welcomed the initiative to convene focused annual review by the ambassador, marking the beginning of an institutionalized engagement with the HICs,” the press release said.
“They shared their plans for 2026 and expressed resolve to lend their full support to the embassy’s economic diplomacy agenda, especially the enhancement of Chinese investments in Pakistan and an increase in Pakistani exports to China, while boosting bilateral cooperation in these mutually beneficial areas.”
