LONDON, May 14: Pakistan leads South Asia in the incidence of breast cancer and 83 per cent of all such cases are in the third stage, according to Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair.

Mrs Blair was speaking at a farewell reception organised for her friends by the outgoing High Commissioner, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, at the Pakistan High Commission here on Wednesday.

Cherie Blair is the patron of the Charity for Breast Cancer Care and had travelled to Pakistan some three years ago on the invitation of Women’s Empowerment Group dedicated to creating awareness about breast cancer in the country. Since then she has kept herself abreast with the development on this front in Pakistan.

She expressed her highest regards for Dr Lodhi whom she described as a consummate diplomat and a “very good friend”.

Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma answering newsmen’s questions said that the CW members welcomed back Pakistan in the fold hoping that it would play its rightful role in the organisation.

When asked for his comments on the ongoing judicial crisis in Pakistan, he said Pakistan’s parliament would debate the issue and settle it in a democratic manner.

Answering another question, he said the Commonwealth would be more than willing to help Pakistan in any sphere that it wanted. “We are in touch with Islamabad in this regard.”

Others who attended the reception included a cabinet minister, three shadow ministers, about 25 MPs from both the ruling Labour and the opposition Conservative Party, five baronesses, three ambassadors, Sanam Bhutto, some businessmen and a number of senior members of the British media.