Guterres Honoured with Nishan-e-Imtiaz,
*Guterres Honoured with Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Plants Sapling at Foreign Office as Pakistan-UN Ties Take Centre Stage**
**Islamabad, October 7, 2026 | By Irfan Tariq**
United Nations Secretary-General **António Guterres** concluded a highly significant first day of his three-day official visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, holding meetings with the country’s top leadership, visiting key UN and disaster-management institutions, planting a sapling at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and receiving Pakistan’s prestigious **Nishan-e-Imtiaz**.
Guterres arrived in Islamabad on October 6 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. He was received by Acting Foreign Secretary Ambassador Nabeel Munir.
At the **Ministry of Foreign Affairs**, Guterres was warmly received by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The two held detailed discussions on regional and international issues concerning peace and security, including **Palestine, Jammu & Kashmir, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and the future of multilateralism**. ([PID][1])
During the visit to the Foreign Office, the UN Secretary-General also **planted a sapling**, symbolising Pakistan’s commitment to environmental protection, climate resilience and a sustainable future.
In their talks, Ishaq Dar briefed Guterres on Pakistan’s positions concerning Jammu & Kashmir and the **Indus Waters Treaty**, reaffirming Islamabad’s call for a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The Deputy Prime Minister also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation, including its facilitation of the **Islamabad Talks between the United States and Iran**. Guterres appreciated Pakistan’s longstanding contribution to the United Nations and its diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue, mediation and de-escalation. ([PID][2])
### **“Pakistan Is Deep in My Heart”**
Speaking to the official media, Guterres offered a deeply personal reflection on his longstanding association with Pakistan.
**“I could not finish my mandate as Secretary-General without coming again to Pakistan because Pakistan is deep in my heart,”** he said.
Recalling his decade as **UN High Commissioner for Refugees**, Guterres praised the generosity of the Pakistani people in hosting Afghan refugees and sharing their resources with them. He also highlighted the resilience and courage he had witnessed among Pakistanis during difficult periods.
Guterres further praised Pakistan’s current diplomatic role, saying the country had demonstrated **initiative and credibility as an important mediator in major conflicts**.
### **Nishan-e-Imtiaz Conferred on Guterres**
Later in the day, President **Asif Ali Zardari** conferred the **Nishan-e-Imtiaz**, one of Pakistan’s highest civil awards, on António Guterres at a special investiture ceremony at **Aiwan-e-Sadr**.
According to the Government of Pakistan, the honour is the **first Nishan-e-Imtiaz conferred by Pakistan on a UN Secretary-General** and recognises Guterres’s international service, leadership of the United Nations and contribution to global peace and development. ([PID][3])
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, members of the federal cabinet, parliamentarians and members of the diplomatic corps attended the ceremony.
In his remarks, Guterres expressed gratitude for the honour and reflected on Pakistan’s hospitality, solidarity and resilience.
**“I know the real Pakistan because I have seen the real Pakistan,”** he said, thanking Pakistan for what it has given to the world. ([PID][3])
### **NDMA Visit and Climate Resilience**
Guterres also visited the **National Emergencies Operations Centre at NDMA Headquarters**, where he received a detailed briefing on Pakistan’s evolving disaster-management system.
He was briefed on early-warning systems and the use of **artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things technology and advanced data systems** to improve disaster forecasting and preparedness.
The UN Secretary-General appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness, early warning and climate resilience, particularly in view of increasing climate-related risks and recurring natural disasters. ([PID][4])
### **UNMOGIP and Pakistan’s Peacekeeping Contribution**
The UN Secretary-General also visited the headquarters of the **United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)** in Islamabad.
The UN has maintained UNMOGIP since 1949 to observe developments relating to the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. ([UN Peacekeeping][5])
Guterres’s programme also highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping and its role in international efforts to maintain peace and security.
### **A Visit at a Significant Moment**
The visit carries additional significance as Guterres approaches the end of his tenure as UN Secretary-General. He took office on **January 1, 2017**, and his second term concludes at the end of 2026. ([United Nations][6])
The United Nations had announced before the visit that Guterres would meet Pakistan’s senior leadership, including the Prime Minister and President, visit NDMA and UNMOGIP, and discuss Pakistan’s diplomatic and mediation efforts, particularly its role in supporting dialogue between the United States and Iran. ([United Nations][7])
The first day of the visit therefore brought together **diplomacy, peace and security, humanitarian cooperation, climate resilience, UN peacekeeping and Pakistan’s longstanding relationship with the United Nations**—with Guterres’s words, *“Pakistan is deep in my heart,”* providing the most personal note to his final months as UN chief.
**By Irfan
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