Chaudhry Salik Hussain, 
Minister for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development represented Pakistan on the directions of Prime Minister of Pakistan, represented along with Senator Tahir Khalil Sindu, at the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis here at the Vatican earlier today. 

The two-hour long ceremony was attended by leaders from around the world and was witnessed in person by an estimated 250,000 people present on the premises of the Vatican 

On margins of the Event, 
Ch Salik Hussain met numerous leaders including former US President Joe Biden who fondly recalled his visit to Lahore in 2008 as a Senator, President FIFA who while appreciating the Pakistani world-class football making tradition, expressed his intention to promote football in Pakistan adding that he was looking forward to visiting the country.  

Minister for OPHRD also held a bilateral meeting with Mr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Interim Government of Bangladesh and exchanged views over the two nations’ brotherly ties and cooperation over promoting peace & security as means to development in the region.

Minister Salik Hussain also met Minister for Tolerance of UAE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarik Al Nahyan as well as Minsters representing Russia, Singapore & Malaysia at the occasion. 

Following the ceremony, the Minister visited the Embassy of Pakistan and reviewed the status of services being extended to overseas Pakistanis in Italy. 

He received a briefing on different  initiatives undertaken by the Mission toward improving consular services and expressed satisfaction over establishing direct & efficient linkages with the 300,000 strong diaspora in Italy. 

This was Ministers first visit to a Pakistani Mission following the hosting of the Overseas Convention at Islamabad during 13-15 April 2025.