William and Kate meet schoolchildren in Pakistan
The five-day tour will be the royal couple’s “most complex” to date because of security concerns. …
Image copyright Reuters The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have met schoolchildren in Pakistan on the first full day of their royal tour.
Prince William and Catherine talked to pre-school girls and boys at a government-run college for disadvantaged girls in Islamabad.
They will have lunch later with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The tour will be their “most complex” to date, according to Kensington Palace, due to security concerns and political tensions in the region.
It was organised at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
Prince William and the duchess began their five-day tour on Monday evening when they flew into the Pakistani Air Force base in Rawalpindi.
The couple are the first royals to officially visit the Commonwealth country since the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited the region in 2006.
At the Islamabad Model College for Girls on Tuesday, the couple learned about about girls’ education in Pakistan. The British High Commission said UK aid in Pakistan has helped more than five-and-a-half million girls to receive a quality education since 2011.
They were also due to hear about how pupils are benefiting from the Teach for Pakistan programme – a teacher training scheme modelled on the UK’s Teach First scheme.
The duke and duchess will later join children from three local schools in Margalla Hills – situated in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The royal couple will then travel to Mr Khan’s official residence in Islamabad for a private lunch.
Mr Khan, a former international cricketing star turned politician, was a friend of the prince’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana visited the country several times for charity work.
Prince William and Catherine will attend a reception on Tuesday evening with guests from Pakistan’s business, music and film industries, as well as members of the government.
In a speech at the reception, William is expected to say that the UK and Pakistan share “unique bonds”.
“You can always rely on the UK to keep playing an important role as a key partner and friend,” he will add.
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