- Monday, March 10, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday (18) met King Charles III in London, UK, and offered condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.
Sharif, who recently attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, departed for the UK on Saturday (17) to represent his country at the funeral of Britain’s longest-serving monarch on Monday (19).
PM @CMShehbaz arrives at the Buckingham Palace to attend a reception hosted by His Majesty King Charles #QueenElizabeth pic.twitter.com/Nup6fkfb35
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) September 18, 2022
The prime minister was accompanied by Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif and special assistant to the premier on foreign affairs, Tariq Fatemi.
Radio Pakistan reported that PM Sharif met the king during a reception hosted by the latter for the high-profile visitors.
“Extending condolences over the passing of his mother Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the prime minister observed that the late monarch was a source of inspiration and strength for generations of Commonwealth citizens,” the report said.
Sharif, who will fly to the US from London for a United Nations General Assembly session, recalled that the people of Pakistan had fond memories of the late monarch’s two visits to that country.
He also said that the bond of affection between the royal family and Pakistan had only got stronger with time.
He wished the new king on his accession to the throne and hoped that he would carry on the legacy of his late mother in strengthening friendship among the Commonwealth nations more.
“The people of Pakistan held His Majesty in high esteem and looked forward to welcoming him in Pakistan at the earliest opportunity,” the Radio Pakistan report quoted Sharif as saying.
He also thanked the British monarch over the royal family’s support in the wake of the unprecedented floods that have devastated Pakistan recently.
“The appeal for help and the response from both the British government and public were deeply appreciated in Pakistan,” he said.
