PM Shehbaz to highlight Pakistan's flood havoc during UNGA summit, bilateral meets

Pakistan PM Sharif is among the world leaders attending the UNGA session who has been invited by President Biden to a reception

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 20 said that he would apprise the world about his country's "massive human tragedy" in the wake of the devastating floods, as he arrived in New York for the high-level U.N. General Assembly session.

Since the start of the unprecedented monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan, 1,545 people have died and thousands more have been injured. The floods have affected 33 million people, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Swelling waters have swept away villages, roads and bridges, and at one point inundated a third of Pakistan's territory.

Also Read | It is the people of Pakistan who are suffering

Mr. Sharif took to social media after reaching New York to participate in the high-level 77th session of the U.N. General Assembly and address it on September 23 as the leader of Pakistan.

He is set to meet several world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA session.

"Reached NY a few hours ago to tell Pakistan's story to the world, a story of deep anguish & pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods. In my address at UNGA & bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan's case on issues that call for the world's immediate attention," he tweeted.

On the sidelines of the summit, Mr. Sharif would hold bilateral talks with several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran's President Seyed Ibrahim Raisi and attend the reception of the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.