By NNN-APP,
New York : President Asif Ali Zardari left Sunday night for Rome for a three-day visit to Italy after a hectic six-day stay in New York as the head of Pakistan’s delegation to the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The commercial flight, with the Pakistani leader on board, took off from New York’s John F. Kennedy airport at 10:45 P.M. (local time) (08:30 A.M. PST Monday).
During his visit here, President Zardari won strategic support from an unprecedented gathering of nearly two dozen heads of states and governments grouped in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FOPD). He addressed the UN General Assembly and held series of political and economic meetings that prepared ground for launching new initiatives for economic revival.
The President also addressed the Louis Blouin Foundation, a leading American think-tank, as key note speaker on the conferment of posthumously award on Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for promotion of democracy and human rights. The award was received by her aunt Madam Behjet Hariri.
He also called on former President Bill Clinton, participated in the events of Clinton Global Initiative, commenced meetings with several heads of states and government officials, and met the chairman and commissioners of the UN commission looking into Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case.
In addition, he also addressed the meeting of major contributors to UN peacekeepers, convened by President Barack Obama.
Spokesperson to the President and former Senator Farhatullah Babar summed up the President’s visit as “boosting the confidence of democratic set up in Pakistan and enhancing hopes for the future”.