PM attending WEF

Prime Minister Imran Khan will be in attendance at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) as the world’s political, business, and civil society leaders head towards the Swiss ski resort of Davos for heated debates on global issues.

The highlight of the visit will be his keynote address at a session alongside Norwegian politician Borge Brenan who serves as the WEF’s president since 2017. He is also expected to meet corporate leaders, business executives and civil society representatives to discuss a wide range of issues alongside speaking to international media outlets.

His packed agenda is in sharp contrast to his predecessor, Nawaz Sharif, who visited the summit on several occasions to rub shoulders with the global elite but never addressed any session. It was partly due to his weak interpersonal skills but the tours cost dearly to the national exchequer. PM Imran’s visit along with his brief entourage is said to be the lowest expenditure by any Pakistan leader for the global summit.

The prime minister has appeared on the cover of the prestigious ‘Time’ magazine – a key feat no less. He is among the top five leaders to be looked out for and is being recognized for his environmental agenda particularly the Clean and Green Pakistan index and the tree plantation campaign. The theme of the summit this year relates to a “cohesive and sustainable world” focusing on environmental policies.

PM Imran Khan is expected to meet US President Donald Trump during his visit as well. The interaction is crucial due to the recent tensions between the US and Iran in which Pakistan played a role to de-escalate the situation. The Afghan peace process will likely be discussed as the US is edging closer to a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban.

This is the first visit by Imran Khan to WEF’s annual meeting since he took office, adding more clout to his participation. Imran is no stranger to the forum as he has attended the summit on several occasions. In 2012, as an opposition leader, during his visit to the summit, he had said that time was up to solve the Kashmir issue and there was a need for some roadmap to resolve the dispute bilaterally. A lot has changed since then in the restive region and he will once again highlight the situation in held Kashmir on a global forum.

The WEF has emerged as a leading forum engaging world leaders for activities that shape the global, regional and business agendas to assist governments and international institutions. It is imperative that Pakistan’s narrative on key regional and international issues is raised at such global forums and its perspective is heard.