Category: 1. Pakistan

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said the provincial government had made preparations to deal with the anticipated “super flood”, which could endanger lives of more than 1.63 million people.

The chief minister addressed media at both Sukkur and Guddu barrages, while reviewing the preparations. The Sindh’s chief executive said the provincial government’s foremost priority is to protect human lives and livestock, followed by safeguarding the province’s three major barrages.

“We have devised a comprehensive strategy. First, we will save people and cattle, then ensure the safety of Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri barrages,” he said.

He was accompanied by provincial ministers — Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Jam Khan Shoro, while Mukesh Chawla joined him at Guddu and Mohammad Bux Khan Mahar at Qadirpur, Ghotki.

CM Murad explained that water levels in Ravi and Trimmu rivers were rising and were being closely monitored, as inflows from Trimmu would reach Sindh in about five days via Panjnad. “By tonight, Trimmu may touch its highest point, which will give us a clear estimate of how much water Sindh will receive,” he said.

PDMA warns of urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat

The chief minister said mapping had already been completed to identify vulnerable villages. “We know exactly which areas will be affected at different water levels — 500,000 to 700,000 cusecs, 700,000 to 900,000, or even beyond. If inflows cross 900,000 cusecs, over 200,000 people may be impacted,” he warned.

He warned that Sindh’s terrain poses greater risks than Punjab’s. “In Punjab, designated breaches allow water to return quickly to the river. But Sindh lies below river level, so once water spreads, it does not recede easily,” he explained.

On the embankments, he highlighted six sensitive locations on the right bank of the Indus River. “KK Bund is particularly vulnerable, while on the left bank, Shank Bund is structurally weak and may not withstand 800,000 to 900,000 cusecs. Still, our top priority is to protect it,” he stressed.

Preparations for a “super flood,” defined as inflows of 900,000 cusecs or more, are underway. The CM said 948 relief camps have been set up, mobile health units are functional, and PDMA has established medical camps with essential medicines, including anti-snakebite vaccines. “Pakistan Navy, Army and Rangers are fully coordinating with us. Around 192 rescue boats are already deployed in katcha areas,” he added.

CM Murad assured that cooked food would be provided at relief camps and houses destroyed in katcha would later be rebuilt on higher ground. “Our utmost effort will be to minimise human losses,” he emphasised.

PM Shehbaz seeks expansion of Pakistan-China partnership to deal with natural calamities

Recalling past floods, Murad said the Guddu Barrage had passed 1.1 million cusecs in 2010. “This time, even 900,000 to 1 million cusecs would be extremely challenging. On August 24, 550,000 cusecs had already flowed through Guddu, which touched embankments and damaged crops in some areas. If inflows remain limited, losses will be manageable, but crops may still not survive,” he observed.

The CM said all ministers, MPAs, and officials have been deployed on flood emergency duties, while security arrangements are being ensured with the help of the Corps Commander and DG Rangers. He added that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is in constant contact, President Asif Ali Zardari has been issuing directions, and provincial party president Nisar Khuhro has mobilised workers.

“Our leadership, party, and provincial government are united in saving people. I request the media to highlight shortcomings but avoid spreading fear. Sindh is fully alert, our preparations are complete, and our priority is to protect people, livestock, and barrages,” he maintained.

Earlier, Murad visited the Guddu and Sukkur barrages to review water flows, embankment conditions, and ongoing rehabilitation projects.

At Guddu Barrage, Minister Irrigation Shoro and Secretary Irrigation Zareef Khero told the chief minister that the rehabilitation and modernisation project, launched in 2017, has achieved 72.6 per cent physical and 78.6 per cent financial progress.

The project, being executed by China’s New Era Development Group, is now expected to be completed by March 2026. The chief minister directed that the project must be finished within the revised timeline without compromising on quality.

During his visit to Sukkur Barrage, CM Murad reviewed the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP), funded jointly by the Sindh government and the World Bank. The CM was told that the work on the project was progressing as planned and is scheduled for completion by June 2027.

The chief minister termed the rehabilitation of barrages a “historic milestone” for Sindh’s agriculture and economy, stressing that timely completion would ensure sustainable irrigation, better flood management, and protection of millions of families.

The Sindh chief minister inspected the Kashmore-Kandhkot (KK) Bund and Qadirpur Shank Bund to review measures for their protection against the River Indus.

At KK Bund, the secretary irrigation briefed the CM that the river has been attacking the structure since 1995. After the 2010 super flood, studs and spurs were installed, with seven new structures completed in 2021 between miles 11 and 18. However, the river is now threatening the downstream side of mile 18. Emergency measures, including stone dumping, stockpiling, and 24/7 monitoring, are in place.

In Qadirpur, Ghotki, the CM inspected the Shank Bund, a sensitive structure protecting 5,000 acres of katcha land and the Qadirpur Loop Bund. The bund has remained vulnerable for decades, with a major breach recorded in 2022, when a thunderstorm widened it to 550 feet. Remote sensing maps prepared on the CM’s instructions showed 739 acres out of 4,029 acres were flooded, said Sindh CM media consultant.

Murad directed the Irrigation Department to intensify monitoring and reinforcement works, stressing that KK and Qadirpur bunds are critical to protecting Sindh’s people, agriculture, and economy.

CM Murad was briefed by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Minister Makhdoom Mahboobzaman and DG Slaman Shah on flood preparedness at Guddu and Sukkur barrages, where water flow may cross 900,000 cusecs.

According to the briefing, 15 districts, 167 UCs and 1,651 villages could be affected in case of a super flood, endangering over 1.63 million people (273,148 families). To deal with the threat, 948 relief camps have been established across vulnerable areas.

In flood-prone zones between Guddu and Sukkur barrages, the at-risk population includes 101,343 people in Ghotki, 194,569 in Sukkur, 224,900 in Kashmore and 264,542 in Shikarpur. Relief camps have also been set up in Larkana and Sukkur divisions.

The chief minister directed officials to ensure full support for affected communities, provision of essential items in camps and close coordination with citizens. “I have assigned ministers to supervise relief and rehabilitation works, and I am personally monitoring the situation,” Murad said.

CHUNG: In a former classroom, now a makeshift relief camp, pregnant women take refuge from the floods that have ravaged eastern Pakistan, their bodies aching, eyes heavy with exhaustion and silent despair.

Waiting for the water that swallowed their homes to recede, women in Chung, a settlement on Lahore’s outskirts, have limited access to sanitary pads and essential medicines, including pregnancy-related care.

Shumaila Riaz, 19-years-old and seven months pregnant with her first child, spent the past four days in the relief camp, enduring pregnancy cramps.

“I wanted to think about the child I am going to have, but now, I am not even certain about my own future,” she told AFP.

Clad in dirty clothes they have worn for days and with unbrushed hair, women huddle in the overcrowded school hosting more than 2,000 people, surrounded by mud and stagnant rainwater.

“My body aches a lot and I can’t get the medicines I want here,” said 19-year-old Fatima, mother to a one-year-old daughter and four months pregnant.

“I used to eat as I please, sleep as I please, walk as I please — that is all gone now. I can’t do that here,” added Fatima, who asked AFP not to use her real name.

Monsoon rains over the past week swelled three major rivers that cut through Punjab province, Pakistan’s agricultural heartland and home to nearly half of its 255 million people.

The number of affected people rose on Sunday to more than two million, according to provincial senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Around 750,000 people have been evacuated, of whom 115,000 were rescued by boat — making it the largest rescue operation in Punjab’s history, according to the provincial government.

The flooded rivers have affected mostly rural areas near their banks but heavy rain also flooded urban areas, including several parts of Lahore — the country’s second-largest city.

While South Asia’s seasonal monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic, and deadly, across the region.

Landslides and floods triggered by heavier-than-usual monsoon rains have killed more than 850 people nationwide since June.

The latest downpour has killed at least 32 people, the provincial minister said on Sunday.

Sleeping in tents held together with thin wooden sticks, women displaced by the floods struggle to get sanitary pads and clean clothes when theirs are stained by blood from their periods.

Menstruation remains a taboo topic in Pakistan, with many women discouraged from speaking about it.

“We are struggling to get pads for when we get our period. And even if we do, there are no proper bathrooms to use,” said Aleema Bibi, 35, as her baby slept on a sheet soiled with mud.

“We go to the homes nearby to use the bathroom,” she added.

Jameela, who uses only one name, said she seeks privacy in a makeshift bathroom next to a cowshed.

“We wait for men in these homes to leave, so that we can go use the bathrooms and change our pads,” she said.

Outside the medical truck beside the relief camp, a concerned woman asked where to take her eight-month-pregnant daughter-in-law who had gone into labor, AFP journalists saw.

The pregnant women are also vulnerable to infectious diseases, according to doctors in the medical camp set up by a local NGO.

“I receive around 200 to 300 patients every day with different infections and water-borne diseases,” said Fahad Abbas, 27, a doctor at the medical camp.

“There are a lot of patients here who are going through psychological trauma, especially women and children, after losing their homes.”

Even without the crisis of a flood, 675 babies under one month old die every day in Pakistan, along with 27 women in perinatal stages from preventable complications, according to the World Health Organization.

Another woman, who wanted to stay anonymous, said the medicine she once used to manage her period cramps was now too difficult to buy.

“We escaped death, but this misery is no less than death either,” Jameela said.

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is dealing with the biggest flood in its history, a senior official said Sunday, as water levels of rivers rise to all-time highs.

Global warming has worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to a new study. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months.

Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain, as well as cross-border flooding after India released water from swollen rivers and its overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions.

“This is the biggest flood in the history of the Punjab. The flood has affected 2 million people. It’s the first time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water,” the senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, told a press conference on Sunday.

Local authorities were evacuating people and using educational institutions, police and security facilities as rescue camps, she said. Pakistani TV channels showed people clambering into rescue boats and sailing across fully submerged farmland to safety. Others loaded belongings into boats, salvaging what remained from damaged homes, now abandoned.

“The Foreign Ministry is collecting data regarding India’s deliberate release of water into Pakistan,” Aurangzeb said. There was no immediate comment from India.

India had alerted Pakistan to the possibility of cross-border flooding last week, the first public diplomatic contact between the rivals since a crisis brought them close to war in May.

Punjab, home to some 150 million people, is a vital part of the country’s agricultural sector and is Pakistan’s main wheat producer. Ferocious flooding in 2022 wiped out huge swathes of crops in the east and south of the country, leading Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to warn that the country faced food shortages.

Figures from Pakistan’s national weather center show that Punjab received 26.5% more monsoon rain between July 1 and Aug. 27, compared to the same period last year.

‘We cannot fight the water or stop it’

In Multan, authorities installed explosives at five key embankments to divert water away from the city, if needed, ahead of a massive wave on its way from the Chenab River.

Multan Commissioner Amir Kareem Khan said drones were used to monitor low-lying areas while teams tried to persuade residents who had not yet evacuated to do so.

“The water is coming in large quantities — we cannot fight it, we cannot stop it,” Deputy Commissioner Wasim Hamad Sindhu said, appealing on people to seek shelter in government-run camps.

Resident Emaan Fatima went to a camp after water surrounded her home.

“Our animals are starving, and we are also not getting food anywhere else,” she said. “We are not sitting here by choice. Our houses are in danger. We are very worried.”

Pakistan’s disaster management authority said 849 people have been killed and 1,130 injured nationwide in rain-related incidents since June 26.

The chief minister of southern Sindh province, Murad Ali Shah, said he had instructed the Irrigation Department to get ready for a “super flood” at barrages.

“We call it a super flood when the water level exceeds 900,000 cusec (cubic foot per second),” Shah told reporters. “We hope that the water will not reach the 900,000 level, but we still have to be prepared. The most important thing for us is that we save human lives and livestock.”

Pakistan’s monsoon season usually runs to the end of September.

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Associated Press writer Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Pakistan and Armenia on Sunday formally established diplomatic relations, the Foreign Office (FO) announced in a statement.

Until today, Pakistan and Armenia did not have formal diplomatic relations. The relationship was characterised by a regional geopolitical rivalry, with Pakistan supporting Azerbaijan against Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as per the Press Information Department.

However, earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan had agreed to consider establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia after a phone call with counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan following a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

According to the FO today, Islamabad and Yerevan formally established diplomatic relations by exchanging a joint communique in Tianjin, on the sidelines of the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

“Marking a historic step forward, both the leaders [Dar and Mirzoyan] affirmed their commitment to the principles and objectives of [the] United Nations Charter and discussed possible avenues of cooperation, including economy, education, culture, and tourism,” the FO statement read.

“The two leaders reaffirmed their desire to work closely with each other at bilateral and multilateral fora, to achieve their shared objectives of peace, progress, and prosperity for the peoples of their two countries.”

In a post on X, Dar wrote that he was pleased to sign the joint communique with his Armenian counterpart and echoed the FO’s remarks on affirming their commitment to the principles of the UN Charter.

The FM also attached photos of himself and Mirzoyan signing and exchanging the document, fanked by their national flags.

The Armenian foreign minister aslo wrote on X: “By this major step, our governments express their desire to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in line [with] the UN Charter [and] readiness to foster constructive engagement in multilateral fora.

Previously this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts following his role in brokering the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal.

“Pakistan welcomes the historic peace agreement signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia at the White House Summit under the auspices of US President Donald J Trump,” the premier wrote in a statement on X.

He congratulated both countries on “charting a course for a peaceful future for their region”, stating: “Pakistan has always stood by the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and we stand with them at this proud moment of their history.”

GUJRANWALA:

In a heart-wrenching incident, three newborns died on Sunday in the flood-hit village of Sohdra, Gujranwala, after their mother was unable to reach a hospital due to road closures caused by heavy flooding.

The woman, who was expecting triplets, went into labour and could not be taken to any medical facility as floodwaters had cut off access routes. She delivered her first baby at home, but complications soon arose.

In an attempt to save the mother and children, the family arranged a boat to shift her to the hospital. However, while being driven in a car to the boat, she gave birth to two more babies.

All three newborns — two girls and a boy — died due to the lack of timely medical assistance. Devastated by the tragedy, the mother lamented, “Roads opened for everyone else, but not for us.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first such case in the country where a pregnant woman failed to get timely medical care. In the past, similar tragedies have been reported when women were unable to reach hospitals due to road closures caused by VIP movement or other reasons.

In November 2022, a woman lost her newborn after giving birth on her way to a hospital in Dir Upper District, barely surviving herself.

In August 2021, another woman delivered a baby girl inside an ambulance while being shifted to a hospital near the Hazara Motorway’s Shah Maqsood Interchange.

 

The Punjab School Education Department has issued revised school timings for all public schools across the province, effective till October 15, 2025.

The notification comes as schools prepare to reopen in most districts from tomorrow.

The new schedule covers single-shift schools as well as double-shift and afternoon schools. Separate timings have also been set for teachers, including additional hours for lesson planning, training, and co-curricular activities.

School Type	Days	Timings
Single Shift	Mon–Thu	7:30 am – 1:00 pm
	Friday	7:30 am – 11:30 am
Double Shift / Afternoon Schools (Morning Shift)	Mon–Thu	7:30 am – 1:00 pm
	Friday	7:30 am – 11:30 am
Double Shift / Afternoon Schools (Evening Shift)	Mon–Thu	2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
	Friday	2:30 pm – 5:30 pm

The department has directed all District Education Authorities to strictly enforce the revised timings, warning that negligence or non-compliance will be dealt with under the law. A 15-minute flexibility has been allowed for opening and closing times at girls’ schools.

Nearly half a million people have been displaced by flooding in eastern Pakistan after days of heavy rain swelled rivers, relief officials said, as they carried out a massive rescue operation.

Three transboundary rivers that cut through Punjab province, which borders India, have swollen to exceptionally high levels, affecting more than 2,300 villages.

Nabeel Javed, the head of the Punjab government’s relief services, said on Saturday that 481,000 people stranded by the floods had been evacuated, along with 405,000 livestock.

Overall, more than 1.5 million people have been affected by the flooding, including in Lahore, the provincial capital and the country’s second-largest city.

“This is the biggest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” Irfan Ali Khan, the head of the province’s disaster management agency, said at a news conference.

He said more than 800 boats and some 1,300 rescue personnel were involved in evacuating families from affected areas, mostly located in rural areas near the banks of the three rivers.

The latest spell of monsoon flooding since the start of the week has killed 30 people, he said, with hundreds left dead throughout the heavier-than-usual season that began in June.

“No human life is being left unattended. All kinds of rescue efforts are continuing,” Khan said.

More than 500 relief camps have been set up to provide shelter to families and their livestock. In the impoverished town of Shahdara, on the outskirts of Lahore, dozens of families were gathered in a school after fleeing the rising water in their homes.

In mid-August, more than 400 Pakistanis were killed in a matter of days by landslides caused by torrential rain on the other side of the country, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, close to Afghanistan and the only province held by the opposition to the federal authorities.

In 2022, unprecedented monsoon floods submerged a third of Pakistan, with the southern province of Sindh being the worst-affected area.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that all the endeavours and initiatives of the current government of Pakistan closely aligned with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision and philosophy that were anchored in progress and prosperity of the Chinese nation.

PM Shehbaz arrived in China yesterday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) two-day Council of Heads of State (CHS) summit, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

Addressing students and faculty members of Tianjin University today, the premier urged the Pakistani students currently studying there to gain the latest knowledge and technology with sheer commitment and hard work.

In his address, which was also broadcast on national TV channels, the prime minister said that Pakistan fully supported President Xi’s philosophy and vision.

He noted that the Chinese leadership had “inspiring” strategic long-term planning for the progress of the country while keeping the welfare of its people at heart.

“President Xi’s visionary leadership conveyed to the entire globe that long-lasting friendship could be achieved through multilateralism and not through unilateralism, while shared progress and prosperity could be conceived through joint teams’ work and not through exclusive rights,” PM Shehbaz added.

Members of the prime minister’s delegation, ambassadors, and officials were also present on the occasion.

The premier also mentioned that taking 800 million people out of poverty had been the most towering achievement of China, which was made possible due to the historic transformation under President Xi’s visionary leadership. He hailed the Chinese president’s commitment to the welfare of his people and to building a shared destiny and future.

PM Shehbaz highlighted that the enduring friendship between the two nations not only stood the tests of time but faced enormous challenges of history.

“It withstands owing to commitment and clear vision in our minds; together to find a shared destiny,” he said, adding that all the designs to keep these two great friendly countries were defeated by their united actions and clear understanding.

The prime minister said the Pak-China time-tested friendship was built by their elder generations through unwavering commitment, honesty and unbelievable sincerity, thus “laying the foundation of a friendship to stand on pillars of mutual trust”.

He asserted that the friendship between the two nations would last forever, no matter what challenges came in their way. He noted that their ties were as old as the Silk Road, and as profound as the religious ties between Gandhara, Taxila and Beijing.

He enumerated the historical facts that forged stronger ties, including Pakistan being the first Muslim country to recognise the People’s Republic of China and PIA’s first direct flight from Karachi to Beijing about 60 years ago.

The prime minister lauded that owing to their hard work, sincerity and untiring efforts, the Chinese leadership and its people had transformed the country into the second-largest economy and military powerhouse in the world, adding that Pakistan felt pride over the achievement of its friend.

PM Shehbaz asserted that the incumbent government in Pakistan was also committed to eradicating corruption and poverty, and went on to claim that “not a single corruption case had emerged” during the current government’s tenure.

“We have a shared destiny with China and should learn from the knowledge imparted by the Chinese universities to bring economic [and] agricultural prosperity to the people of Pakistan,” he said.

The prime minister expressed his satisfaction that more than 200 individuals from various parts of Pakistan were studying at Tianjin University. He called on them to utilise their expertise in Pakistan for the welfare, progress and prosperity of their people.

Noting that the university was regarded as “a cradle of great learning” and terming students as ambassadors of Pakistan, the premier expressed the optimism that, owing to their hard work and dedication, they would return to Pakistan as architects for their future.

“Above all, you are the torch bearers of Pakistan-China friendship,” PM Shehbaz highlighted.

The prime minister said the students would become great experts and serve as helping hands not only in China’s progress but also for the well-being and progress of Pakistan.

He observed that about 60 per cent of the population in Pakistan comprised the youth, “which is a huge challenge”, and stressed that they should reap the demographic dividends to unlock this potential and chart new horizons in collaboration with China.

The prime minister noted that the government had sent 1,000 agriculture graduates from Pakistan to China to learn modern techniques. Moreover, about 30,000 students from Pakistan had been getting education and training in China.

He also termed vocational training as critical in building and training the youth in different parts of Pakistan. The prime minister also fondly recalled his memories of his visit to the university in 2017.

The prime minister also visited the National Earthquake Simulation Centre at Tianjin University and appreciated China’s use of modern technology for disaster management.

“By benefiting from Chinese expertise in this regard, Pakistan will be able to adopt effective precautionary measures and strategies to deal with natural disasters in the future,” he said.

PM Shehbaz, Turkiye’s Erdogan meet on the sidelines

On the sidelines of the summit, PM Shehbaz reviewed bilateral relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and expressed satisfaction with the ties between Islamabad and Ankara, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

“They noted with appreciation the steady increase in high-level exchanges and cooperation across a broad spectrum, including political, economic, defence and security domains,” APP added.

The Turkish president offered his condolences to the PM over the loss of life and property amid the ongoing floods ravaging various parts of Pakistan.

Erdogan “expressed his country’s solidarity with the people of Pakistan and said that the government and people of Turkiye stood shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in this hour of need”, APP reported.

The pair discussed regional developments and also expressed grave concern

PM Shehbaz is leading a delegation from Pakistan to participate in the SCO summit. The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Another 16 countries are affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.

Leaders from Mongolia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkiye, Egypt, the Maldives, Myanmar and others, as well as the chief of the United Nations and heads of various regional and international organisations, are also attending as part of the expanded format.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X that the prime minister had met visiting heads of state at the summit, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“At the 25th SCO Heads of State Council in Tianjin, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held informal meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres,” the post read.

“The warmth and cordiality shown reflected the brotherly and friendly ties between Pakistan and these nations.”

PM Shehbaz is slated to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to promoting multilateralism, enhancing regional security and advancing sustainable development, the FO said in a statement earlier. He is also expected to have bilateral meetings with other SCO leaders and invited members to “strengthen diplomatic relations”.

The prime minister would also hold meetings with President Xi and Premier Li Qiang “during which multifaceted dimensions of Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation would be discussed”, according to the FO.

“He would also attend the military parade with President Xi and other world leaders being held in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the World’s Anti-Fascist War,” the FO added.

PM Shehbaz, as per the statement, would “interact with reputed Chinese businessmen and corporate executives to discuss bilateral trade, economic and investment ties”. He would also address a Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Beijing.

The statement highlighted that the visit was a part of leadership-level exchanges between the two countries.

“It manifests the importance attached by the two countries to further deepen their All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, reaffirm support on issues of respective core interests, advance Phase-II of CPEC and maintain regular communication on important regional and global developments,” FO said.

Last week, the government said that PM Shehbaz’s visit to China will mark the formal launch of the second phase of the China­-Pakistan Economic Corr­idor (CPEC-II), focused on industrial cooperation, after a delay of about five years.