Dar’s UNGA visit cancelled hours before departure

ISLAMABAD: In a surprise announcement, the Foreign Office on Saturday said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar had cancelled his visit to New York for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The announcement was made just hours before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left Lahore for London before proceeding to New York as head of Pakistan’s delegation to the UNGA. He is accompanied by his Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and senior officials. “In view of some important upcoming diplomatic engagements and the ongoing preparations for the 23rd meeting of Council of the Heads of Governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will not proceed to New York for the 79th session of United Nations General Assembly,” said the spokesman at the Foreign Office. She pointed out that PM Shehbaz Sharif’s programme for participation in the UNGA session remains unchanged.

The News learnt from sources that the decision for the cancellation of foreign minister’s trip to New York was taken on Friday afternoon in a meeting at the Foreign Office. It comes just two days after an official announcement was made about Dar’s participation at the UNGA.

Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch is also staying back in Islamabad to assist the foreign minister in preparations for the SCO meeting, added the sources.