President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are due to host a reception dinner for heads of state and government attending the UNGA at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue on the evening of September 23, The News reported on Sunday.

PM Shehbaz has received an invitation to the dinner, which is expected to be attended by several world leaders. The gathering will provide him an opportunity to meet and interact with other heads of state and government.

The meeting with President Trump would be their first face-to-face interaction in seven months, following the conclusion of the Board of Peace meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

PM Shehbaz is expected to arrive in New York from London a day before the reception. He is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 25.

Key issues in UNGA address

During his address, the prime minister is expected to raise India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, citing a recent verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that rejected India’s contention, according to the sources.

Several countries, in addition to Pakistan’s traditional allies, have reportedly assured Islamabad of support for its position on the issue.

The prime minister is also expected to highlight the Kashmir dispute, which Pakistan considers a continuing threat to regional and global peace.

He will outline Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace and its diplomatic efforts towards a ceasefire and an end to hostilities in the Middle East.

PM Shehbaz is also expected to discuss the trilateral collective security arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which was signed in Makkah last month.

He will brief the international community on Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts and raise concerns over what Islamabad describes as India-sponsored terrorism, including the alleged use of Afghan territory as a conduit for such activities.

Meetings with world leaders

According to the sources, PM Shehbaz is expected to meet several world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA session.

Among them will be Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with whom he is expected to hold his first meeting.

The high-level General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 26 at the UN headquarters in New York.

According to the schedule issued by the UN Secretariat, PM Shehbaz is scheduled to be the fourth speaker during the second half of the session on September 25.

The sources said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not attend the UNGA for the second consecutive year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24.

Afghanistan is scheduled to be among the final speakers on the concluding day of the session, according to the schedule cited by the sources.