United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is set to visit Pakistan from Oct 6 to 8, the Foreign Office (FO) said, noting that his engagements here would highlight Islamabad’s efforts towards strengthening multilateralism.

The visit comes as Guterres’ 10-year tenure as the UN chief is set to end on Dec 31.

Guterres is set to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as well as Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, FO said on Monday.

The statement added that the UN chief would visit the headquarters of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and attend a briefing at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headquarters.

FO noted that during Guterres’s visit, Pakistan’s “efforts towards strengthening multilateralism and international peace and security, as well as its strides towards disaster preparedness and early warning, will be highlighted”.

It stated that the visit will offer an important opportunity to reiterate Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the UN, and to exchange views on regional and international developments.

In its statement, FO acknowledged Guterres’ leadership and contribution to international peace and development while serving as the UN head.

FO also highlighted “Pakistan’s unwavering support for multilateralism with UN at its core, and its abiding commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter”.

On Friday, DPM Dar had hinted at Guterres’s visit, saying that the Pakistani delegation had met him at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session, held in New York in September. Dar said that he had extended an invitation to Guterres to visit Pakistan, which the UN chief had accepted.

PM Shehbaz had also met Guterres on the sidelines of the UNGA, with the two discussing major regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East.

In that meeting, Guterres commended Pakistan’s role and strong voice at the UN, as well as its contribution to international peace and security. The UN chief also appreciated Pakistan’s role and sacrifices in countering terrorism.

Guterres’ first visit to Pakistan as the UN secretary general was in February 2020, about three years after he was elected to the position in 2016.

In recent months, two of the six candidates vying to succeed Guterres have visited Pakistan and met PM Shehbaz.

During their separate meetings in July and September, respectively, María Fernanda Espinosa and Ambassador Olara Otunnu praised Pakistan’s role in efforts to promote peace.