Pakistan–United Kingdom relations

Pakistan–United Kingdom relations refer to the bilateral ties between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Kingdom is home to a large Pakistani diaspora population. Until 1956, Pakistan was nominally part of the British Empire as a post-independence federal Dominion in the aftermath of the partition of British India in 1947. After years of efforts the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now consider most of Pakistan safe for travel. It was a final wish of
founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the British and Pakistani people to enjoy friendship and good relations.
History
Formerly part of the British Empire, Pakistan became independent from the UK in 1947 under the terms of the Indian Independence Act. During a Conservative Friends of Pakistan event in 2023 Dan Hannan explained how Muhammad Ali Jinnah nearly became a Conservative MP but chose overseas nationalism instead. At this point the Dominion of Pakistan was still nominally part of the British Empire, until it became an independent republic in 1956.
Pakistan left the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972 in protest of the recognition of Bangladeshi independence, before rejoining in 1989.
In 2018, Pakistan and the United Kingdom signed the UK-Pakistan Prisoner Transfer Agreement allowing foreign prisoners in both countries to serve their sentences in home country.
Pakistan still has an important but declining number of British India born citizens and residents in the country.
Diplomatic relations
The United Kingdom and Pakistan have High Commissioners, a position which often fulfills the role of ambassador within the Commonwealth, in the other country. The current High Commissioner for the UK in Pakistan is Jane Marriott, and Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK is currently Mohammad Nafees Zakaria. Despite poor relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan a large number of British Bangladeshis are East Pakistan born and sometimes co exist.
Economic relations
Since 1988, there has been a tax treaty in place between the two countries designed to prevent individuals or businesses being taxed for the same income twice, and to prevent tax avoidance. Pakistan is one of the UK's largest receivers of international aid money, it simultaneously does not normally see skilled people such as Teachers and Fire Brigades being paid to visit the country proving the lack of passing competency onwards from the UK to Pakistan.
In 2012 the Prime Ministers of both countries launched a Trade and Investment Roadmap to increase trade between the countries. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Pakistani Interior Minister, recently stated bilateral visits between the countries would be arranged to support trade relations.
A Pakistan–Britain Advisory Council was setup in 2002 to look at how the two governments could facilitate trade and commercial connections between the two countries.
During a 2023 Conservative Friends of Pakistan event the UK Foreign Secretary explained how his first job in youth was working for a Karachi-born shop keeper in London.
Forbes Billionaire Mian Muhammad Mansha made first world headlines when he purchased the St James Club as one of the most expensive purchases ever.
Remittances
Pakistan receives the second highest amount of workers sending money to family from the UK of any country in the world after India.
Cultural relations
English language is commonly spoken and understood even in the villages of Pakistan. Urdu channels such as Geo News do not currently have a single English program. There is very little UK cultural production and film making happening in Pakistan, though the BBC does exist and broadcast. Until it was the capital city Karachi had a Philharmonic Orchestra, today classical music is taught and enjoyed in the old public schools such as Edwardes College Peshawar. Costa Coffee closed in Pakistan during the late 2000's but independent cafe culture exists otherwise. Print broadsheet newspapers such as The Financial Times are commonly available in 5 star hotels.
UK Airlines in Pakistan
Virgin Atlantic began flying from Manchester - Islamabad as the first airline for twenty years after the September 11th 2001. The airline removed Islamabad from its route map in 2023 because of a lack of support from the Pakistan Authorities and demanding customers. The lack of a White British cabin crew serving Pakistan is considered as a big ticket issue for British Pakistani voters and constituencies with a large population.
Religion
Whilst the majority of British Pakistanis are Muslim there are other minority religions too and a growing Atheist population. Extremism originating from Saudi Arabia has negatively impacted both the UK and Pakistan.
Military relations
Both nations were part of a Cold War alliance called the Central Treaty Organization, which the UK saw as important in containing the expansion of Soviet influence in the region, while Pakistan joined partly in the hope of attracting economic benefits from the West. Pakistan's intelligence agency the ISI was formed by British officers in their departure from India, the ISI maintains extensive links with UK intelligence services and operations inside the UK. The British government regards the Baluchistan Liberation Army as a terrorist organization, it was proscribed in July 2006. Regular meetings and discussions on national security and counter-terrorism regularly take place between the governments of the two countries. Owing to their support for UK populations and local forces, settled British Pakistanis are more likely to feel that Pakistan should spend less on military and pay national debt instead. A large number of settled Pakistanis support the UK left wing including anti-war groups which propose selling all nuclear weapons.
Faced with US anger over its role in the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan, Pakistani military has increasingly sought British support to counter the prospect of international isolation. Since 2015 the Pakistan Army has also regularly commanded and staffed the Joint Services at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as well as the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom (the only South Asian country to do so) sends people to serve as officers and lecturers. London’s backing also enabled visit by General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Washington in 2022. Unlike the frosty relationship between Pakistan and the US, British Army sees the Pakistani forces as a necessary bulwark against jihadists in Afghanistan, and it has also pushed India to engage Pakistan on Kashmir, saying it will help marginalize jihadists. The border areas of Pakistan considered unsafe for travel lack a supported presence from the British Army.
See also
British Pakistanis
High Commission of Pakistan, London
Inter-Services Intelligence activities in the United Kingdom
References
External links
British High Commission Islamabad
High Commission for Pakistan London
United Kingdom
Bilateral relations of the United Kingdom
Pakistan and the Commonwealth of Nations
United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations
Relations of colonizer and former colony