The government’s preparations to welcome Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on high as just one day has been left to their five-day official visit to Pakistan, media reports say.

According to the details, Britain Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton will arrive in Pakistan on Monday, Oct 14 2019 and will visit Islamabad and Lahore during their five-day visit till Friday Oct 18, 2019. It is first royal visit to Pakistan in more than a decade. And special red-carpet reception will be accorded to the royal couple, they said. The royal couple is coming to see the legacy left by their ancestors long ago. The royal couple, according to government sources, will also visit historical places in Lahore. The visit of the royal couple is being considered very important for Pakistan after Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office made a request to Pakistan for their visit.

The sources said that high security arrangements are being made ahead of their arrival to Pakistan. The diplomats are terming this royal trip as renewal of relation between both Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

“The forthcoming Royal visit is quite important because it is reflecting closeness of both Pakistan and the UK,” said Pakistan’s Ambassador to UK Nafees Zakria. It may be mentioned here that both Pakistan and the UK enjoy historical links and wish to strengthen their bilateral relations.

In 2006, Prince Charles and Camilla paid visit to Pakistan and now this royal trip is going to happen after 13 years of long gap. Before that, Princess Diana also visited Pakistan in 1996. She visited Islamabad, northern areas of the country and Lahore during her trip, and Prime Minister Imran Khan welcomed her when he was just a cricketer. According to media reports, Diana also campaigned for fund raising for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital with Imran Khan.

It may be mentioned here that over a million Pakistani are now living in the UK and other European countries.

According to a report issued by Britain’s Department of International Trade, there was around $ 4 billion bilateral trade between Pakistan and the UK two years ago in 2017 and now this year once again the UK’s authorities have allowed operations of British Airways between the both countries.

TAYYEBA SANA,

Student of IIUI (International Islamic University of Islamabad).