ISLAMABAD: The incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly announced on Sunday that he was postponing a scheduled visit to Pakistan due to some “technical flight problems”.

Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir was elected president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly last month and was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday.

But in a tweet on Sunday, he said the visit to Pakistan’s capital would have to wait. “I am hoping to visit Pakistan in the near future and looking forward to a fruitful exchange with the Pakistani authorities, regarding the issues & priorities on the United Nations 75th General Assembly agenda,” he said.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi tweeted in response to Mr Bozkir that “I look forward to welcoming you to Pakistan soon for a constructive and fruitful visit”.

Mr Qureshi, while announcing the visit a day earlier, had expressed the hope that he would discuss a range of issues with Mr Bozkir, including occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan wants the United Nations to play its role in resolving the issue of Kashmir under its resolutions by allowing people living in the disputed region to decide whether they want to merge with India, with Pakistan or whether they prefer independence.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2020