Plan for economic aid to Pakistan to be discussed next week

WASHINGTON: A special high-level conference aimed at evolving a comprehensive plan to provide urgently-needed economic assistance to Pakistan will take place in New York on September 26 on the sidelines of the U.N.

General Assembly, a Pakistani embassy spokesman said Saturday.

The "Friends of Pakistan" will be hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari, who will lead the Pakistan delegation to the Assembly's 63rd session, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

The G-8 countries -- France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada -- China, Saudi Arabia and United Aran Emirates (UAE) will participate in the conference.