ISLAMABAD: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called on the Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday. The Royal Couple was accompanied by Mr. Simon Case, Private Secretary of the Duke, and Mr. Thomas Drew, British High Commissioner to Pakistan.
The meeting was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere. While welcoming the Royal couple, Prime Minister Imran Khan recalled the love and affection among the people of Pakistan for Princess Diana, because of her compassion as well as commitment to support charitable causes.
Prime Minister Imran Khan commended the visiting dignitaries for raising awareness of the issues being faced by the modern world like climate change, inequality, and education. The Prime Minister also lauded the Royal couple for promoting positive activities in Pakistan and their interaction with young Pakistanis.
The Prime Minister apprised the Royal couple of domestic priorities and Pakistan’s perspective on external environment, including relations with India post 5 August and support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Cambridge stated that Pakistan is a very important country for the UK. He thanked the government of Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to them and their entourage.
The Prime Minister later hosted luncheon for the visiting dignitaries.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on a 5-day tour of Pakistan and would be visiting Islamabad, Lahore and the North of Pakistan.
The royal couple also met President Arif Alvi as part of their ongoing tour of the country in Aiwan-e-Sadar
For the meeting with President Alvi and PM Imran, Kate Middleton opted for white trousers by Maheen Khan paired with a bright green tunic by Catherine Walker.
She accessorized the dress with a scarf by Satrangi and earrings by Zeen.
Earlier, The Royal couple visited Government Girls High School, University Colony in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The couple saw different parts of the school and also inspected a class of mathematics. They got mixed up with the students of the school, Radio Pakistan reported.
The school administration briefed the royal couple about the school and the education system in Pakistan.
The visiting royals during their five-day visit are scheduled to visit Northern Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa besides capital Islamabad and Lahore.
It is the first royal visit to Pakistan in 13 years. The last one was by Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who spent five days in Pakistan in 2006.
Commenting on the Royal visit, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Tuesday that British royal couple’s visit to Pakistan “reflects bright and ambitious image of Pakistan”.
Related: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Pakistan
“The homeland is the home of a great cultural heritage and a place of ancient civilization,” she stated in a tweet shared on her official Twitter account.
She mentioned that the visit would strengthen Pakistan-UK relations, and impact Pakistan’s identity in true and positive terms.
“Pakistan is emerging as a beautiful and attractive destination for tourists […] the fascinating beauty of Pakistan’s historic sites and northern areas are distinguishing features of the state.”
“Pakistan and the nation welcome the royal guests […] [We] hope that Prince William and Kate Middleton will return with beautiful memories,” she said. (With additional input from INP)
