President Zardari confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on UN chief Guterres for outstanding services

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari conferred Pakistan’s prestigious Nishan-e-Imtiaz on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a special ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad.

The national honour was conferred on Guterres in recognition of his outstanding services at the international level and his efforts to promote global cooperation, peace and humanitarian causes.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the ceremony, along with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister, members of the federal cabinet and foreign diplomats.

Expressing gratitude for the prestigious honour, Guterres thanked the Government and people of Pakistan for their recognition. He said he accepted the award on behalf of all women and men working for the United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General said he had personally witnessed the hospitality and generosity of the Pakistani people. He also praised the courage, unity and resilience of the Pakistani nation in confronting terrorism.

Guterres highlighted the contribution of Pakistani troops to UN peacekeeping missions, saying they represented the true image of the Pakistani nation.

During his address, the UN chief also referred to the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, saying the Pakistani people possessed both strength and determination as well as deep compassion and solidarity.

Recalling Pakistan’s devastating floods and the impact of the climate crisis, Guterres said he had witnessed the suffering of the Pakistani people firsthand.

Earlier, Guterres visited the National Disaster Management Authority headquarters, where he was briefed on Pakistan’s disaster preparedness, advanced forecasting systems and the use of artificial intelligence and modern data technologies.

The UN Secretary appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen its disaster response capabilities and stressed the importance of global cooperation to address climate change and natural disasters.

Pakistan and the United Nations also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in disaster risk reduction, climate resilience and the use of technology to enhance preparedness and response capabilities.