UK’s royal couple visits mountain-top glacier in Pakistan

Islamabad: Britain’s royal couple Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on Wednesday visited a melting mountain-top glacier in northern Pakistan to see the impact of climate change.

The royal couple also flew in a helicopter to Hindu Kush’s Kalash Valley, which is home to Indo-Aryan people in the Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Efe news reported.

Kalash dancers and singers warmly received the royals in the valley and presented traditional hats and coats along with a pictorial book that included pictures from the 1991 visit of the duke’s late mother, Diana to Pakistan.

The couple later visited the Chiatibo Glacier near the Afghanistan border to see the impact of climate change.

William at a reception dinner in Islamabad on Tuesday called the effects of the climate change a “global catastrophe”.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Pakistan on Monday and showed their support for girls’ education and visited a school for girls.

The royal couple also met Prime Minister Imran Khan, an old friend of William’s late mother Princess Diana, and other officials.

They are on a five-day visit to the country to experience “Pakistan’s rich culture, its diverse communities, and beautiful landscapes”, according to a Kensington Palace statement.

This is the first Pakistan visit by British royals since 2006 when the Prince of Wales Charles and his wife Camila visited the country.