Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton have begun the first British royal tour of Pakistan since Prince Charles and his second wife Camilla visited in 2006.
The couple arrived in Islamabad on Monday night and were received by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Nur Khan Airbase.
Earlier today they were received by premier Imran Khan at the Prime Minister House, where a lunch was hosted in their honour.
William’s late mother, Diana, was a friend of the Prime Minister and visited Pakistan twice to help raise awareness and funds for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.
Prior to meeting Khan, the couple was welcomed by President Arif Alvi who commended the visiting dignitaries for their endeavors to raise awareness about mental health, climate change, and poverty alleviation.
The royal couple appreciated the initiatives undertaken by Pakistan’s government to combat climate change and to alleviate poverty, added a government statement.
This is the first visit of the duke and duchess to Pakistan, during which they aim to “meet as many Pakistanis as possible and build a lasting friendship with the people of the country.”
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The couple kicked off their engagements on the second day of their five-day trip to Pakistan with a visit to the Islamabad Model College for Girls, University Colony on Tuesday morning, where they interacted with the staff and students and visited classrooms.
After their visit to the school, they arrived at Margalla Hills to attend an event regarding environmental protection. Strict security arrangements were made prior to their arrival.
“In the Margalla Hills, which sit in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined children from four local schools, taking part in activities designed to educate young people on environmental protection and wildlife conservation,” said Kensington Palace on Twitter.
The five-day visit, which will end on October 18, has been organised at the request of the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
According to a handout from Kensington Palace, the British royal couple will visit Islamabad, Lahore, Gilgit-Baltistan and rugged border regions to the west.
