ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on September 23 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
According to The News, citing high-level sources, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host a reception dinner for heads of state and government attending UNGA 81 at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue on September 23.
Prime Minister Shehbaz has received an invitation to the dinner, which will be attended by several world leaders. The event is expected to provide an opportunity for the prime minister to interact with other heads of state and government.
The meeting would be the first face-to-face interaction between Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Trump in seven months. Their last interaction took place on the sidelines of the Board of Peace meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to arrive in New York from London on September 22 and address the UN General Assembly on September 25.
During his address, he is expected to raise India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), referring to the recent Permanent Court of Arbitration verdict that rejected India’s position on the matter.
The prime minister is also expected to discuss the Kashmir dispute and its implications for regional and global peace. He will outline Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional stability and its diplomatic role in securing a ceasefire and ending hostilities in the Middle East.
He is further expected to highlight the trilateral collective security agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which was signed in Makkah last month.
According to the sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz will also brief the international community on Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts and raise concerns about India-sponsored terrorism, including the alleged use of Afghan territory for such activities.
The prime minister is expected to hold meetings with several world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA session. These include Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with whom he is expected to have his first meeting.
The UN General Assembly’s high-level General Debate will be held from September 22 to 26 at the UN headquarters in New York. Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to be the fourth speaker during the second half of the session on September 25.
According to the schedule cited by the sources, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the UNGA for the second consecutive year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24.
Afghanistan is scheduled to be among the final speakers on the concluding day of the General Debate.