Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in New York on Monday to participate in the high-level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. During his visit, he is set to attend various ministerial meetings, deliver Pakistan’s statements, and engage in bilateral discussions with international counterparts.
Upon arrival, Dar was welcomed by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Consul General in New York Aamer Ahmed Atozai, along with officials from Pakistan’s UN mission and consulate. The Foreign Office noted that Dar’s schedule is packed with high-level engagements addressing bilateral, regional, and global issues featured on the UN agenda.
Notably, Dar is accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to arrive later in the week to lead Pakistan’s delegation during the General Assembly’s high-level segment. The UNGA’s high-level week runs from September 21 to 25, with the general debate commencing on September 22 and continuing through September 28. The 81st session’s theme is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
During the visit, Kashmir and Palestine will be prominent topics. Dar will participate in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Contact Group meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, where he is anticipated to reaffirm Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He will also attend several OIC ministerial meetings, including the annual coordination meeting of OIC foreign ministers and other Contact Group sessions.
Palestine will feature significantly in Dar’s agenda as well. He is scheduled to join multiple high-level meetings, such as the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries gathering and the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution ministerial meeting. These discussions coincide with the UN’s high-level week, which convenes world leaders and senior officials to address conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, and other pressing international challenges.
In addition, Dar will deliver a statement during a UN Security Council high-level briefing focused on artificial intelligence. He is also slated to participate in a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Furthermore, Dar will chair a session of the Economic Cooperation Organisation Council of Ministers during his stay.
Alongside these multilateral engagements, Dar will hold bilateral talks with foreign counterparts and accompany Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his high-level bilateral meetings. The Foreign Office emphasized that these interactions will serve as platforms to showcase Pakistan’s contributions toward regional and global peace and stability while exchanging views on critical challenges.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming UNGA visit will highlight Pakistan’s stance on regional and international developments, advocating for dialogue, diplomacy, restraint, and peaceful dispute resolution. Pakistan’s priorities at the assembly include sustainable development, climate change, counter-terrorism, Islamophobia, global economic issues, UN reforms, and matters related to Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.
The UN’s high-level week is expected to gather nearly 130 heads of state and government, providing a forum for the 193 member states to deliberate on international affairs. Ishaq Dar’s arrival signals the commencement of Pakistan’s high-level diplomatic activities in New York ahead of the prime minister’s participation in the General Assembly proceedings.
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