British royal couple lands in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The British Royal couple, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton have arrived in Islamabad on Monday on a five-day official visit to Pakistan.

The visiting couple was given guard of honour on their arrival at the Noor Khan Airbase. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Streets in Islamabad and around the country have been humming with festivities and celebrations to honour the royal pair with more than 1,000 police officers deployed for their security over the span of their five-day visit.

As per the schedule announced by Foreign Office, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton will meet President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, tomorrow, at 12 pm and 2pm, respectively.

Afterward, William and Kate will travel to Lahore on October 16, arriving a day later (Oct 17) in Chitral.

The royal couple, after the completion of their tour to Pakistan, will return to Britain on Oct 18.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew said during their five-day visit, the Royal couple would visit the ‘breadth and depth’ of Pakistan.

In his video message shared on Twitter, the High Commissioner had said the visit would largely focus on showcasing Pakistan as a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation.

It is the first royal visit to Pakistan in 13 years. The last one was by Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who spent five days in Pakistan in 2006.