British Royal Couple Reaches Pakistan On Five-Day Visit

By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 03 Jan 2023

LONDON (9 News) – The royal couple – Prince William and Kate Middleton – reached Pakistan on a five-day official trip on Monday.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed at Nur Khan Airbase. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the royal couple. Children presented the couple bouquets.

Firdous Ashiq Awan@Dr_FirdousPTI

برطانوی شاہی مہمانوں کو پاکستان آمد پر خوش آمدید کہتے ہیں۔شہزادہ ولیم اور شہزادی کیٹ کا پاکستان آنا پرامن اور محفوظ پاکستان کی روشن دلیل ہے۔شاہی جوڑے کی آمد سے پاکستان اور برطانیہ کے مابین دیرینہ تاریخی تعلقات مزید مستحکم ہوں گے۔

In a tweet, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said welcomed the royal guests on their arrival in Pakistan. “The arrival of Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton is a clear proof of a peaceful and safe Pakistan. Their arrival will further strengthen the long and historic relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom,” she said.

The Royal couple will be welcomed by the federal ministers, officials from Foreign Office (FO) and he British ambassadors at Noor Khan Airbase in Islamabad.

The British royal couple will arrive in Pakistan along with a security team consist in large numbers of officials. Over 40 doctors, paramedics and medical staff will also be part of the security team for the British royal couple. Prince William and his wife will meet President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on October 15.

The royal couple will visit a school, college in F-7 sector and they will attend the ceremony of a private institution. The British guests will also be part of a special event on the Pakistan Monument.

On October 16, Prince William and Kate Middleton will visit SOS Children’s Villages, Aitchison College and Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore.

The British royal couple will leave for Chitral on October 17 and meet with the locals. It was also reported that if the security and weather would be normal then the British guests will also visit Dara Khyber, the fort. The British royal couple will depart for home from Noor Khan Airbase on October 18 at 1pm.

“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend a special event at the Aga Khan Centre on October 2, hosted by His Highness The Aga Khan. The event falls ahead of TRH’s official visit to Pakistan, which will take place from October 14 to 18,” a statement by the Kensington Palace said.

The visit comes 13 years after Charles and Camilla — the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwell — toured the country in 2006.

Pakistan still remembers the late Princess Diana’s visit in 1996.

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 a goodwill visit, and they want to promote good relations between Pakistan, England and our new generation,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters.