Shehbaz-Trump meeting expected on UNGA sidelines

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on September 23 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to diplomatic sources.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are scheduled to host a reception dinner for heads of state and government attending the UNGA session at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on September 23. Prime Minister Shehbaz has received an invitation to the gathering, which is expected to bring together several world leaders.

The reception could provide an opportunity for the Pakistani premier to hold discussions with President Trump as well as other leaders attending the high-level UNGA session. The expected meeting would be their first face-to-face interaction in around seven months since the conclusion of the Board of Peace meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Prime Minister Shehbaz is expected to reach New York from London a day before the reception. He is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 25, where he is likely to present Pakistan’s position on several key regional and international issues.

According to the sources, the prime minister is expected to raise India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and refer to a recent Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that rejected India’s position on the matter. He is also likely to highlight the Kashmir dispute and its implications for regional stability and international peace.

Shehbaz is expected to outline Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote regional peace, including its role in efforts aimed at securing ceasefires and ending hostilities in the Middle East.

The prime minister may also discuss the trilateral collective security arrangement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which was signed in Makkah last month. He is further expected to brief the international community on Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts and raise concerns over what Islamabad describes as India-sponsored terrorism, including the alleged use of Afghan territory for such activities.

During his stay in New York, Shehbaz is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders. He is also likely to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the first time.

The high-level General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly is scheduled for September 22-26 at the UN headquarters in New York. Shehbaz is listed as the fourth speaker during the second half of the session on September 25.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to attend the UNGA for the second consecutive year, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24. Afghanistan is among the countries scheduled to speak on the final day of the General Debate.