Queen Elizabeth to celebrate Pakistan's 50th anniversary

Queen Elizabeth will address a joint session of parliament, watch a cricket match and tour the Grand Faizl mosque during her six-day visit to Pakistan next month, officials said.

The queen will also visit India at a time when the two countries are commemorating the end of British rule in the Asian subcontinent 50 years ago.

The queen is to reach Pakistan on October 7 and is to be greeted by a 21-gun salute. Her first day will be spent meeting Pakistan's president, prime minister and the staff at the British high commission, which has been preparing for the visit for much of the past six months.

On October 8, she will address a joint session of Pakistan's parliament before attending a cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa in Rawalpindi.

The queen will also visit Karachi and Lahore. Her entourage will also travel north to Chitral in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.