Britain’s William and Kate to visit Pakistan

Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, will visit Pakistan later this year on the first royal trip to the country in more than a decade.“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake an official visit to Pakistan this autumn, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Further details will be advised in due course,” Kensington Palace announced yesterday.The announcement was welcomed and #PrinceWilliam was among the top Twitter trends in Pakistan.“People of Pakistan cherish & fondly recall visits of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II to Pakistan during 1961 and 1997,” Pakistan’s high commissioner to the UK, Mohamed Nafees Zakaria, said on Twitter.“Upcoming Royal visit reflects the importance UK attaches to Pakistan. Both countries enjoy historical links and wish to strengthen further,” he said.In 2006, the prince of Wales and the duchess of Cornwell, Charles and Camilla, visited Pakistan.Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, had also visited Pakistan in 1996.She travelled to Islamabad, scenic northern areas and Lahore, where she was welcomed by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan – now Pakistan’s prime minister after his party’s victory in last year’s election.Diana – who was friends with Khan – also attended a fundraising event of his Shaukat Khanam Memorial Cancer Hospital.Earlier this month, British Airways resumed flight operations to Pakistan after more than a decade.Britain is home to more than 1mn people of Pakistani origin, making it the largest Pakistani diaspora in Europe.