New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan raised recent developments in Kashmir with the visiting Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate, on Tuesday. The two are on a five-day official visit of Pakistan.
William and Kate began their first official visit to Pakistan with the formal rounds of meetings with Pakistani leaders on Tuesday, with Pakistani media giving them wall-to-wall media coverage.
The royal couple arrived in Islamabad on Monday night and were greeted by Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Their official engagements began with a visit to four educational institutions on Tuesday morning, followed by meetings with the Pakistani President Arif Alvi and lunch with Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Pakistani foreign ministry read-out stated that Khan “apprised the Royal couple of domestic priorities and Pakistan’s perspective on external environment, including relations with India post August 5 and support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan”.
While the UK has not expressed an opinion about the change in Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status, it has expressed concern about the restrictions inside the state and its regional fall-out.
Ahead of their visit, a statement issued from Kensington Palace said that the visit of the couple would “focus on showcasing Pakistan as it is today – a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation”.
The Duke and Duchess’s first official visit to the country will pay respect to the historical relationship between Britain and Pakistan, but will largely focus on showcasing Pakistan as it is today — a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation https://t.co/jipKLc10Di
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 14, 2019
The royal visit to Pakistan was constantly compared to that of trips made by Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana, in 1986 and 1999. Princess Diana, who died in a car accident at the age of 36, had been a close friend of Imran Khan when he was an active member of her social set.
The British media reported that a schoolgirl told Prince William that they were “fans” of his mother. “That’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too,” he replied, according to The Mirror.
A number of posts compared the similar sartorial choices made by Princess Diana and Middleton during their visits, despite the gap of over two decades. Middleton wore a salwar kameez of green and blue hues on the first day, which apparently harked back to Diana’s clothing choice.
According to the official press release, Imran Khan “recalled the love and affection among the people of Pakistan for Princess Diana, because of her compassion as well as commitment to support charitable causes”.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called on the President here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr Islamabad today. @KensingtonRoyal @ukinpakistan#RoyalVisitPakistan pic.twitter.com/HJ7Ic43IFc
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 15, 2019
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended an official meeting and lunch with Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI in Islamabad. #RoyalVisitPakistan pic.twitter.com/d23kEdtBkx
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 15, 2019
This is the first such visit undertaken by a member of British Royal family to Pakistan in 13 years. Members of the Royal family had previously visited the Indian subcontinent in April 2016, to India and Bhutan.
The Duke of Cambridge stated that Pakistan “is a very important country for the UK.” He thanked the government of Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to them and their entourage.
Imran later hosted luncheon for the visiting dignitaries.
This is the first such visit undertaken by a member of British Royal family to Pakistan in 13 years. They had been previously in the Indian subcontinent in April 2016 to visit India and Bhutan.
According to The News, the visit “is expected to repair Pakistan’s international image a great deal”.
On a five-day tour, the royal visitors will travel to Lahore on Wednesday and then visit Chitral on Thursday.