ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has invited Prince Charles to Pakistan as the country prepares to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its independence later this year, reported the local media on Friday.
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir-apparent to the British throne, Prince Charles last visited Pakistan in 2006 along with the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker.
He traveled to different areas of the country and met people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake about a year ago.
According to Express News, the prime minister’s close aide Zulfi Bukhari met the Prince of Wales in London and extended a formal invitation to him to visit the country.
Bukhari also posted his photos with Prince Charles on Twitter, calling the meeting “an absolute honor.”
“He [Prince Charles] sends his good wishes and thanks to PM @ImranKhanPTI & Pakistan for supporting evacuation [of British workers] from Afghanistan,” he said in his Twitter post. “I look forward to welcoming him to Pakistan soon as we mark our 75th year.”
Express News said Bukhari noted during the meeting that Pakistan and the United Kingdom were close friends and partners, adding the government wanted to celebrate the 75th year of their diplomatic relations with Britain with great fervor.
It is not clear when the PTI leader met the British royal since international news outlets reported on Thursday Prince Charles had tested positive for COVID-19 a second time, raising concerns about the queen’s health since he had recently held a meeting with her.
Members of the British royal family have also visited Pakistan in the past.
Most recently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Catherine Middleton spent some time in the country in October 2019.