President Zardari meets King Abdullah II of Jordan, confers Nishan-e-Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari received His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Sunday as the Jordanian monarch began his State visit to Pakistan.

His Majesty was accompanied by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs; Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; and Major General Yousef Huneiti, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Senator Sherry Rehman were present during the reception.

Both leaders reaffirmed the longstanding and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Jordan, discussing the full spectrum of bilateral relations. They emphasized expanding cooperation and enhancing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The two sides also reviewed regional and global developments, with a particular focus on peace and security in the Middle East. They stressed closer collaboration in multilateral forums and renewed their commitment to humanitarian and development cooperation.

On Palestine, President Zardari and King Abdullah II reiterated their shared principled stance on post-war Gaza. They rejected any displacement of Palestinians and called for the Two-State solution, advocating for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

King Abdullah II expressed pride in Jordan’s deep-rooted ties with Pakistan and reaffirmed his country’s desire to broaden cooperation across multiple sectors. Both sides expressed confidence in the future direction of bilateral ties and agreed to maintain close coordination on regional and global matters.

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The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar; Climate Change Minister Senator Musadik Malik; senior Foreign Ministry officials; and the ambassadors of both countries.

A special investiture ceremony followed, during which President Zardari conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan on King Abdullah II. The King, in turn, awarded President Zardari the Wisam al-Nahdah al-Mursa‘ (Order of the Renaissance), Jordan’s prestigious honour for heads of state.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and other senior civil and military officials, as well as diplomats, attended the ceremony. A state banquet was later hosted in honour of the visiting monarch at Aiwan-e-Sadr.