Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan
Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan will skip next month's United Nations General Assembly session to focus his attention on the country's economy, said his foreign minister.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will head the Pakistani delegation at 73rd U.N. General Assembly session set to open on September 18.
"No, the prime minister is not going. I will lead Pakistani delegation," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters on Tuesday evening.
There was a debate in Pakistan whether the new prime minister would attend the U.N. session or stay home as part of his austerity drive and focus on economic issues.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu spoke with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday and voiced Ankara's desire to further strengthen ties with Islamabad, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.In a statement, the ministry said: "Mr. Cavusoglu expressed a strong desire of the government of Turkey to strengthen the existing close and friendly relations between the two countries."Pakistan and Turkey enjoy exemplary fraternal relations based on common faith, values, culture, civilization linkages, history, mutual trust and support," it said.Cavusoglu also congratulated Qureshi on the recent election victory of Premier Imran Khan.Qureshi said relations between the two countries had been transformed into a mutually beneficial strategic partnership."The foreign minister expressed his keen desire to work closely with his Turkish counterpart to expand bilateral cooperation in all areas, particularly in trade and economic sector," the statement added.Qureshi said Pakistan and Turkey will play their roles to promote peace and stability in the region.
Turkish foreign minister talks to Pakistani counterpart
"The prime minister of Pakistan thinks that the present situation in country needs attention," Qureshi told the media.
He said Khan wants to focus on his new government, sworn in earlier this month, and a looming currency crisis which threatens to derail the fast-growing economy.
Pakistan’s economy expanded at 5.8 percent in the last fiscal year, its quickest pace in 13 years, but the rupee currency has been devalued four times since December. Interest rates have been raised three times.