PM Shehbaz Sharif leaves for UK

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday left for UK from where he will travel to US to attend the UN General Assembly session in New York.

According to diplomatic sources, the prime minister would first reach London where he would stay for two days.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the United Nations General Assembly’s annual session on September 26, according to a provisional list of speakers released by the UN here.

The high-level debate of the 193-member Assembly’s 79th session will take place from September 24 to 30.

PM Sharif will deliver a speech to the General Assembly for the second time. He last addressed it in 2022.

More than 130 world leaders have so far confirmed their participation the debate.

“The Assembly’s 79th session, which actually opens on September 10, will be meeting amid heightening tensions in the world with several active conflicts, including in Palestine, Ukraine and the Sudan,” state-run news agency reported.

“It will be the second time Prime Minister Sharif will deliver a speech to the General Assembly — the UN’s main policy-making organ — he last addressed it in 2022,” APP added, saying over 130 world leaders had so far confirmed their participation in the debate, quoting Monica Greylay, the spokesperson for the UN General Assembly.

“They will be addressing international peace and security issues. The provisional list of speakers issued by the UN is not final; the UN regularly updates it in the weeks leading up to the session to account for any changes in attendance, schedules, and speaking slots of leaders, ministers and ambassadors.”