PM Shehbaz meets Aga Khan V on UNGA sidelines

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Prince Rahim Aga Khan V on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session in New York and discussed deepening Pakistan's partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network, ARY News reported.

Sharif expressed appreciation for the Aga Khan's commitment to maintaining friendly and positive relations with Pakistan and reaffirmed his desire to work closely with him on shared objectives of peace, stability and development. He particularly noted the Ismaili community's longstanding contribution to the country's socioeconomic development and acknowledged AKDN-affiliated institutions for their work in financial inclusion, tourism promotion, cultural preservation and community-led economic empowerment.

The prime minister said there was scope to fully use the potential for further collaboration in these areas to advance sustainable and inclusive development in Pakistan.

Prince Rahim thanked the prime minister for his sentiments and praised his efforts for regional peace and stability at a time when, he said, the entire region was engulfed by war. He reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the partnership between Pakistan and the AKDN and expressed a desire to expand cooperation in healthcare, education, climate resilience and sustainable socioeconomic development for the benefit of the people of Pakistan.

Separately on the UNGA sidelines, Sharif met United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and discussed regional challenges and peace efforts, ARY News reported. The outlet did not provide further details of that meeting.

The Times of India carried a headline saying Sharif spoke on peace efforts with Israel, but no body text from the Indian newspaper was available in the search result.