User:Peter Ormond/Royal tours of Pakistan by the British royal family

1961 visit
Queen Elizabeth II undertook a royal tour of the South Asia in 1961, which included visits to Pakistan, India, Iran and Nepal.

Her state visit to Pakistan, lasted from 1 to 16 February, during which she was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip. They visited Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and the northern areas of the country.

Karachi
The Queen and the Duke landed in Karachi on February 1 at 11:37am. They were greeted at the airport by President Ayub Khan. A salute of 21-guns was also fired. The Queen was wearing a chartreuse dress belted at the waist, a feather hat to match, silver grey gloves and shoes, a three-string pearl necklace, and pearl earrings. The royal couple were then given a 100-man royal salute as they stood above a carpeted dias alongside President Khan.

The Queen and the Duke were driven from the airport to the President's House and during the journey, they encountered cheers, music and flowers. They stayed at the presidential residence until their departure to Peshawar on 4 February. Over the course of their stay, a number of events were held in Karachi in the Queen's honour.

The first day included a visit to Jinnah's mausoleum, a visit by the Duke to Korangi Township, and a lavish state banquet by the President. At the Mazar-i-Quaid, large crowds had gathered near the entrance and on both sides of the driveway. The Queen laid a large floral wreath.

At the Korangi Township, the Duke surveyed the area during a short visit.

That evening, at the state banquet, the Queen described Pakistan as "one of the powers in the world of Islam", and "one of the great nations in the Commonwealth". Pakistan "thus finds herself in a unique position", she said, expressing her faith that Pakistan's "contribution to international understanding will increase from year to year".

The next day's events included a naval review at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard, a citizens' reception at the Frere Hall Gardens, interaction with selected members of the press, and a dinner by the Commonwealth High Commissioners at Runnymede Road in Clifton. At the Frere Hall reception attended by 5,000 cheering citizens on 2 February, the Queen paid tribute to the city's residents for having faced and solved so many problems with courage. "That Karachi survived this invasion, kept going, and finally absorbed it in such arduous and remarkable circumstances, is one of Pakistan's most striking achievements," she said. She paused for a moment after the speech and then suddenly said: "Aap hazraat ka bahut bahut shukria." Her words in Urdu were met with a prolonged burst of applause by the crowd. Ayub stood up and clapped, laughing heartily.

Other activities the royal couple engaged in included a ladies reception, interaction with newsmen, a duck hunt (that saw Ayub dispensing with all formality with the Duke and bagging the majority number of ducks), and meetings with a delegation of Ismailis and a group of West Pakistan princes.

Quetta
Soon after their arrival in Peshawar on February 4, the couple flew to Quetta, which they were originally scheduled to visit after Karachi. The trip had been put off due to reports of heavy snowfall but was reconsidered once the weather cleared.

From the airport, the Queen and the Duke were driven to the Quetta Residency. The entire seven-mile route was decked in buntings with the Union Jack and Pakistan flag displayed at short intervals and 30,000 people waving at the royal visitors. Once at the Residency, the Queen planted a pine sapling, the same place where her grandfather King George V had planted a chinar sapling, 56 years before her visit.

During their brief visit to the Balochistan capital — around six hours — the Queen and the Duke were also presented with two sheep each by Sardar Mohammad Khan Jogezai, a senior Pathan leader, and Sardar Khair Bux Khan Marri, a senior Baloch leader. The gesture was a long-held custom reflecting affection for distinguished guests. The royal couple also visited the Quetta Staff College, where they had coffee with the students and officers in the college mess.

The Queen and the Duke then flew back to Peshawar that evening.

Peshawar
In Peshawar, the Queen and the Duke were invited to a banquet at the Government House by Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, the governor of then West Pakistan, which was attended by 80 prominent members of society.

The next morning the royal couple attended a church service at St John’s Church, the oldest in the region. The Queen, wearing a pink dress and matching hat, was welcomed by the Assistant Bishop of Lahore, the Vicar of Peshawar, and other clergymen. During the service, the Duke read a lesson from the New Testament after which a sermon by the Assistant Bishop of Lahore was delivered. The Queen pay a visit to the Peshawar University, Khyber Pass, Pak-Afghan border point Torkham, and Landi Kotal.

On the way to Landi Kotal, the Queen stopped at some places to have a close look at the insignia of British regiment — inscribed on barren rocks by soldiers during their stay there. She lunched at the mess of Khyber Rifles and later visited the multipurpose Warsak dam.

Lahore
The royal couple enjoyed a weekend of festivities in Lahore as they attended a reception and a service at the Lahore Cathedral; took part in a fair; and visited the tomb of Allama Iqbal, the Lahore Fort, the Shalimar Gardens as well as the Badshahi Mosque. A grand dinner by the Army was also held in their honour.

There was even a "torchlit tattoo" performance by the West Pakistan Rangers as well as fireworks in the walled city. Prince Philip was also treated to a game of polo and the two took part in the national horse show, a nod to the Queen’s love for horses and the Duke's interest in polo.

1997 visit
The Queen next visited Pakistan 36 years later in 1997, when the country was celebrating 50 years of independence.

This time, her visit was much shorter — six days — beginning on 7 October. The Queen and the Duke arrived at Chaklala, Islamabad, where a 21-gun salute was sounded as they emerged from the plane. They were received by the then foreign minister, Gohar Ayub Khan, and were driven to the Aiwan-i-Sadar where they were welcomed by President Leghari and inspected a guard of honour. At midday, the Queen met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his residence.

The Queen and the Duke that day visited the Shah Faisal Mosque. During her visit, the Queen kept her hat covered with an off-white dupatta as a sign of respect while going round it.

She also opened a new commercial block at the British High Commission, "a manifestation of the desire of the British government to further promote its commercial and economic relations with Pakistan", according to the Queen's Press Secretary, Geoffrey Crawford, who briefed Pakistani and foreign newsmen a day in advance of their arrival.

That evening, the President hosted a state banquet at the Presidential Palace in honour of the Queen. Speaking at the banquet, the Queen said Pakistan and the United Kingdom enjoyed a truly rich relationship, founded on a myriad of personal as well as institutional commitments. "I am confident in its future, and wish Pakistan well in its next fifty years". She also paid tribute to Princess Diana's humanitarian work during her visits to Pakistan and thanked the people for their sympathetic response to her death.

An investiture ceremony was also held during which the Queen was conferred the highest civil award, Nishan-i-Pakistan, and the Duke was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz. "The Nishan-i-Pakistan has been given in recognition of Queen Elizabeth's outstanding contribution to the consolidation of linkages between Pakistan and Britain and her commitment to the causes confronting the developing countries of the Commonwealth," reported Dawn at the time.

The following day, the Queen addressed a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate. In the backdrop of the tensions between India and Pakistan, the Queen called for renewed efforts between the two countries to end "historical disagreements". She had stressed that with the lifting of barriers between the two largest nations of the sub-continent, the region's real potential would unleash. "It brings friends of both countries only pleasure to see the commitment both have made this year to solve contentious issues through talks. Reconciliation will take time but the effort must be made," the Queen said in her address to the joint session of parliament.

Later the same day, the Queen also opened a British Council exhibition "Traditions of Respect" (on the influence of Islam in the West) at the Convention Centre in Islamabad. The Queen and the Duke gave a luncheon at the British High Commissioner's residence and spent the afternoon visiting the Rawalpindi Cricket Club, where they met the Pakistani and South African Test teams and watched part of the match, according to the Court Circular issued at the time.

The visit also included meeting war veterans, laying a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, attending a reception in the gardens of the British High Commissioner's residence, and watching "Beat Retreat by the Royal Marine Band".

Over the course of the visit, the Queen also visited Karachi where they attended a reception at the Governor House, followed by a lunch hosted by the governor of Sindh. The Queen inaugurated a British Trade Exhibition at a local hotel and the Duke opened a $450 million ICI plant at Port Bin Qasim. "I feel at home in Karachi as we share the same culture and understand each other well," the Queen said.

After the laying of wreaths at Jinnah's mausoleum, the two departed for Lahore, where they were hosted by prime minister Sharif, who gave a grand banquet in their honour at the Lahore Fort.

The next day, the Queen visited the National College of Arts in Lahore where she saw the miniature art studio and sculpture studio. The NCA students also put on a string puppet show on the occasion. The Queen paid a visit to the Kim's Gun monument after which the Bishop of Raiwind received her at Christ Church school of Pakistan.

A luncheon in her honour was hosted by the Governor of Punjab. She also paid a visit to the British Council where she met with people from different walks of life.

The Queen and the Duke then flew back to Islamabad. Before their visit to Pakistan concluded, the Duke was pictured visiting Aga Khan school in Chitral's Bilphok area.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1509328 https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Pakistan_Horizon/-ytWAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=parliament+queen&dq=parliament+queen&printsec=frontcover

2019 visit
The 2019 royal tour of Pakistan by Prince William, and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, took place between 14 October and 18 October 2019. This was the couple's first official visit to Pakistan.

The couple's Communications Secretary described the visit as "the most complex tour undertaken by the Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations."