Pakistan’s foreign minister says Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate will arrive in the capital, Islamabad, on a four-day visit next week.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Friday the royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will arrive in Pakistan on Oct. 14.
He said the visit will further improve ties between Pakistan and Britain.
Qureshi said Prince William’s mother Princess Diana visited Pakistan in the 1990s to participate in a fund-raising event for a cancer hospital built by Imran Khan, now Pakistan’s prime minister.
Qureshi said Pakistanis still fondly remember Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997.
Kensington Palace has described as the most complex tour undertaken by the couple, given the security and logistical issues.
The five-day visit comes as Britain seeks to reinvigorate its foreign relationships with Brexit looming, while Pakistan works to repair its global image to boost tourism and investment.
It will be the first visit to Pakistan by members of the British royal family in more than a decade, after royal heir Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in 2006.
William and Kate arrive on Monday on a trip that will include the mountainous north, the capital Islamabad and the city of Lahore, with a focus on climate change, access to education and security.
“This is the most complex tour undertaken by the duke and duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations,” their communications secretary said.
The visit, at the request of the British foreign office, represents a soft power push, foreign policy experts and officials say, which may help both sides further their diplomatic aims.
Prince William, Kate start four-day Pakistan visit on Oct 14
Prince William, Kate start four-day Pakistan visit on Oct 14
- Kensington Palace has described it as the most "complex tour" undertaken by the couple
- It will be the first visit to Pakistan by members of the British royal family in more than a decade
