F.P. Report
LONDON: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday joined a galaxy of foreign royals, officials and heads of the states and governments, at the coronation of King Charles III – a symbolic ceremony combining religious service and royal pageantry.
The prime minister arrived the Westminster Abbey along with other foreign dignitaries to witness the coronation of 74-year-old King, who was crowned along with Camilla, the Queen Consort. King Charles III, became the 40th reigning monarch crowned there since 1066. The ceremony marked the pomp and formality featuring the centuries old traditions.
The coronation was the first occasion in 70 years that a British monarch ascended the throne. Over 400 VVIPs including 100 heads of the states and governments attended the event. Dating back to the 11th century, the British monarchy is amongst the oldest political institutions in the Western Europe. Before the arrival of the King, there were processions in the Abbey involving faith leaders and representatives, and representatives from some Commonwealth countries, carrying the flags and accompanied by the governor generals and the prime ministers. King Charles was presented to “the people” a tradition dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. Standing beside the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, the King was proclaimed the “undoubted King”. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby performed the ceremony and administered the Coronation Oath to the King. He received the regalia, including the Sovereign’s Orb and scepters before St. Edward’s Crown was placed on his head.
Later, he moved from the coronation chair to a throne after performing a number of rituals and crowned with St. Edward’s Crown. King Charles III became the seventh monarch to wear St Edward’s Crown after Charles II, James II, William III, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II – who last wore it at her own coronation in 1953. Charles’ second wife Camilla, whom he married in 2005, was separately crowned queen during the ceremony. King Charles III had a special affection for the people of Pakistan, reflected over the years in his work through his charities and patronage of art.
As Prince of Wales, he along with his wife Camilla Parker, then Duchess of Cornwall, visited Pakistan from 29 October to 3 November 2006 in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake. Since 2017, the Prince’s Trust, a charity founded by the King helps young people get into education, jobs and training, through “Enterprise Challenge Pakistan”. The British Asia Trust, a charity founded by King Charles III in 2007 in collaboration with some South Asian business leaders, is aimed at addressing issues such as widespread poverty, inequality and injustice in South Asian countries, including Pakistan.
For PTI’s govt conduct of interstate ties was plaything: PM: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that for previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government, everything including the conduct of interstate relations was a plaything. Reacting strongly to PTI leadership’s attempt to create controversy over Pakistan’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa, India, the prime minister on his Twitter handle, said it was deeply troubling how the PTI tried to generate a controversy around Pakistan’s participation.
“It shouldn’t be surprising though as Imran Niazi has had no qualms about imperiling the country’s vital foreign policy interests in the past too. This is what they did when they were in power. For the PTI, everything including the conduct of interstate relations is a plaything,” he posted a tweet.
Shehbaz meets world leaders: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here on Saturday met different world leaders on the occasion of coronation of King Charles III. The prime minister met with President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Sri Lanka Wickremesinghe, President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing, President of Malta George William Vella, Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland and Minister of State United Kingdom Andrew Mitchell. They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.
PM hails WHO’s declaration: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said a declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) about the end of the COVID-19 global health emergency after three years was a tribute to the outstanding services of scientists, doctors and health professionals. In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “WHO’s declaration of the end of Covid global health emergency is great news.
The fact that a pandemic as dangerous as Covid-19 that devoured hundreds of thousands of precious lives & brought the world to a grinding halt could be over in three years is a tribute to the outstanding services of scientists, doctors, health professionals and others. Humanity triumphed against a lethal enemy through collective efforts.”(APP)
