PM arrives in Colombo for Commonwealth summit

E-Paper | October 12, 2026

PM arrives in Colombo for Commonwealth summit

Dawn.com Published November 14, 2013

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Colombo on Thursday to participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2013).

The prime minister was greeted by Sri Lanka Freedom Party leader and cabinet minister Nimal Siripala de Silva at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

The Commonwealth summit which is to last for three days will start on Friday.

The CHOGM is a biennial event wherein Commonwealth Heads of Government meet to discuss global and Commonwealth issues. The CHOGM 2013 has a special theme: growth with equity-inclusive development.

Other events like the Commonwealth Business Forum, the Commonwealth Peoples Forum and the Commonwealth Youth Forum are being held in conjunction with CHOGM 2013.

In Colombo, Prime Minister Sharif will meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The premier will also meet other world leaders on the summit’s sidelines.

Pakistan is one of the eight founding members of the Commonwealth, and is steadily enhancing its relations with member states.

Pakistan

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Asad

Nov 14, 2013 07:54pm

The country is crumbling and his foreign visits are not ending since he took office. Pathetic Leadership. Shame on him.

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SaleemC

Nov 14, 2013 08:05pm

It is expected of any leader to make trips abroad to ensure that the country is represented at the highest level. This is to ensure that diplomacy, trade, cultural exchanges get top priority for the betterment of the country. However, I do not understand how can this Pakistani leader keep on traveling all the time. For him it must be very difficult, as to date he has not appointed a foreign minister and then he has business interests in Dubai, London etc which he needs to attend. Furthermore, he has to devote time on defence related issues as the country has no defence minister. What is ironic that none of the media ever picks on this. What a shame, no wonder the country is in a such a mass.

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Ali

Nov 14, 2013 10:01pm

PM is having good time on tax payers money. He love to travel and no work to do for the country.

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Mandeep

Nov 15, 2013 12:01am

Good place for Nawaz Sharif to recover from shocks Obama gave him in Washington.

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Ghani K

Nov 15, 2013 01:44am

Give him an excuse, he is ready to fly out. What is he going to accomplish by attending this vestige of colonial British rule ?

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Raja

Nov 15, 2013 02:16am

Four countries - Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Pakistan - have been suspended from the Commonwealth in the past

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Murugan

Nov 15, 2013 01:45pm

Its a shame for commonwealth countries to accept his leadership, He violated known human rights and imprisoned a general who refused to violate Geneva Convention towards the end of the war, and his navy fired at innocent Indian fishermen of late..

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