PM Shehbaz arrives in London on way to US

LONDON: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif arrived in London on Tuesday for a two-day visit after concluding his official trip to Austria.

The Prime Minister’s aircraft landed at Luton Airport, where he was received by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Faisal, and other senior officials. He later departed for his residence in the city.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi.

Following his two-day stay in London, the Prime Minister will travel to the United States, where he is expected to attend President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) meeting on Gaza.

According to diplomatic sources, Field Marshal General Asim Munir is also likely to visit Washington during the same period. The inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace will be hosted by US President Donald Trump on 19 February in Washington.

The summit will primarily focus on strengthening the ceasefire in Gaza and mobilising funding for the territory’s reconstruction. Deliberations will centre on sustaining the ceasefire and raising funds for rebuilding efforts in the war-affected region.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz described his visit to Austria as highly significant, noting that it was the first high-level visit between the two countries in more than three decades and coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Austria.

In a message posted on his official X account, the Prime Minister said his meeting with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker was warm and productive. He added that both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation across diverse fields.