UN chief arrives in Pakistan for three-day visit

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for an official visit to Pakistan, the Foreign Office (FO) said. According to the post on X, the FO said the "UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad today to undertake an official visit to Pakistan from October 6-8, 2026, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar." "Upon arrival, the Secretary-General was received by Acting Foreign Secretary Ambassador Nabeel Munir," the ministry added. UN Secretary-General H.E. António Guterres arrived in Islamabad today to undertake an official visit to Pakistan from 6–8 October 2026, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Upon arrival, the Secretary-General was received by… pic.twitter.com/LmUnJ89LNA — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 5, 2026 According to an earlier statement by the ministry, Guterres was due to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during his October 6-8 visit. The FO had said the visit would provide an opportunity to reiterate Pakistan’s “longstanding cooperation” with the United Nations and exchange views on regional and international developments. It had also said the visit would highlight Pakistan’s efforts “towards strengthening multilateralism, and international peace and security”, as well as its progress in disaster preparedness and early warning. Guterres is also scheduled to visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and attend a briefing at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), according to the FO’s statement released on Monday. Read: Guterres arrives in Pakistan for Iran conflict talks The FO had said the visit would provide an opportunity to acknowledge Guterres’s “able leadership and vital contributions” in international peace and development. It said the visit “reflected Pakistan’s unwavering support for multilateralism with the UN at its core, and its abiding commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter”. The UN had separately said on Monday that Guterres would visit the NDMA to see “firsthand the progress Pakistan has made in strengthening its preparedness and resilience since the floods”. According to the UN statement, the visit would also provide an opportunity for Guterres to discuss Pakistan’s diplomatic and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, including its “constructive role in supporting negotiations between the two countries”. The UN had said Guterres departed New York on October 4 following the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and was expected to return on Thursday.