ISLAMABAD, SEPT 22 – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be attending the upcoming 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) wherein he will highlight Palestine, Islamophobia and other issues during his address slated for September 27, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Sunday.

The premier, set to attend the UNGA session from September 23 to 27, will underscore the importance of addressing long-standing issues on the agenda of the UN Security Council (UNSC) such as Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine.

The prime minister, a day earlier, reached London for a short tour from where he would depart for New York on Monday (tomorrow).

“Departing for New York to represent Pakistan at the 79th UN General Assembly. Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements. We will present Pakistan’s perspective to the world,” the PM said in a post on X.

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also scheduled to travel to the US for the UNGA session, however, his trip was cancelled hours before PM Shehbaz left for London.

“In view of some important upcoming diplomatic engagements and the ongoing preparations for the 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Deputy PM and FM [Ishaq] Dar will not proceed to New York for the 79th session of the UNGA,” an FO spokesperson said.

Sources told The News that the decision for the cancellation of the foreign minister’s trip to New York was taken on Friday afternoon in a meeting at the FO.

Expanding on PM Shehbaz’s trip, the FO said that the premier will not only reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and support for the UN’s role in fostering global peace, security, and prosperity but will also accentuate the importance of addressing the inequities in international economic relations and reforming the international financial architecture during his time in New York.

The premier will also highlight the country’s priority to place people at the heart of the domestic and global development agenda.

He will express Islamabad’s commitment as an incoming member of the UNSC for the year 2025-26, to work with all UN member states to uphold the UN Charter, preventing conflict, fostering peace, and promoting global prosperity, the FO added.

Furthermore, PM Shehbaz would urge the international community to take decisive measures in addressing climate change and countering the rising tide of Islamophobia.

Moreover, the premier will attend several high-level meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA Session including the “High-Level Meeting on Existential Threat posed by Sea-level Rise,” and the UNSC’s open debate on “Leadership for Peace”.

The prime minister’s schedule also includes bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including the UN secretary-general and UNGA president.