Commonwealth secretary general to reach Pakistan on July 28

ISLAMABAD Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland will pay her first official visit to Pakistan from Sunday to 2nd of the next month on the invitation of the Government of Pakistan.During her visit, Secretary-General Scotland will meet with Pakistan’s leadership, members of the cabinet, youth leaders, civil society representatives and other stakeholders.The Commonwealth secretary-general has been a staunch advocate for supporting Pakistan in meeting the adverse impacts of climate change.She will reaffirm her solidarity with Pakistan, as it marks the second anniversary of the catastrophic 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country and caused more than 30 billion dollars in damage. She is also likely to tour some of the areas that were affected by the floods.During the secretary-general’s visit, the two sides would also discuss avenues to enhance cooperation between Pakistan and the Commonwealth in other areas of shared interest, including supporting Pakistan’s national development plan, empowering youth, and boosting trade and investment.With 2023-24 designated the “Year of Youth” by the Commonwealth and Pakistan chairing the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, the secretary-general will receive extensive briefings on the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and highlight the opportunities Commonwealth membership brings to young people.As one of the organisation’s founding members, Pakistan values the Commonwealth as an important forum for forging consensus on global issues and challenges.The visit of the Commonwealth secretary-general would provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the Commonwealth.