UN officials in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, confirmed to IRIN on Thursday that Secretary-General Kofi Annan will arrive in the country on 10 March for a three-day visit as part of his upcoming tour of South Asia. While an exact itinerary has yet to be finalised by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, it is expected that Annan will be in Pakistan from 10 to 12 March to meet various leaders, including Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. He is also expected to visit an Afghan refugee camp near the northwestern city of Peshawar, in an effort to highlight the deteriorating humanitarian situation there, a UN official said. The strained relations between India and Pakistan, and the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan were among the issues that could be expected to arise, the source said. Annan is due to visit Bangladesh on 13 and 14 March for talks with government leaders, after which he will travel to India.
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