Happy to be back: Working together, we can make a difference: Thomas Drew

New British envoy offers overview of high commission’s goals.

ISLAMABAD: I have been enjoying being out-and-about rediscovering the things that I so liked about Pakistan when I served here as political counsellor 10 years ago...from the freshness and beauty of the Margalla Hills, to the history of Peshawar Old City, the cultural vibe of Lahore or the commercial buzz of Karachi; to the food, – which I am determined to use my time here to learn how to cook; to, finally and most importantly, seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

This was said by British High Commissioner Thomas Drew on Wednesday at a media reception at his residence.

Drew, who has been in Pakistan for three months, noted that Pakistan “is a fabulous place for a British diplomat, most importantly, because what we do matters to both the UK and Pakistan”.

He also highlighted that “our interests are aligned — what is good for Pakistan is good for the UK, and vice versa”.

Drew reminded that the high commission here was among the UK’s largest foreign missions and could thus support major projects.

”Working together, we can actually make a difference, [and] I am lucky enough to have the resources to support it.”

The British mission to Pakistan is our second largest in the world, our bilateral development programme here is our biggest in the world, and there is huge interest and support for the country at the highest levels of our government.”

He reiterated that his job in Pakistan entailed using his position to good effect for mutual security, regional stability, and to help promote the economic and political development in a way which enhanced the prosperity and well being of both countries.



“The most exciting part of my challenge is helping Pakistan unleash its potential, and three months in, I am even more convinced that, that potential is huge.”

Drew also noted the importance of people-to-people links, and the special link shared by the UK and Pakistan due to the shared history.

“More than two per cent of the population of the UK is of Pakistani origin, and nothing demonstrates that better than our new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the Muslim son of a bus driver whose parents were born in Karachi,” he said, adding that Khan received more individual votes than any other Briton in the UK’s history.

Drew also spoke of the successes of other Pakistani-origin people in his home country in the fields of sports, entertainment, journalism, and business.

On the sidelines

On the sidelines, conversations with other diplomats varied from concern over the recent honour killing of a couple that eloped from near Abbottabad, interest in the upcoming elections in the AJK, and surprise at how much coverage the election of Sadiq Khan got in Pakistan.

Of the latter, a senior diplomat told The Express Tribune that there was no real “shock value” in the fact that a person with Pakistani ancestry won a major election in the UK, as the country had many South Asian origin parliamentarians and even ministers in the past.

Meanwhile, an interesting discussion among journalists turned to one offering a conspiracy theory on the Panama Papers, as he was not inclined to believe that anyone would leak documents for the public good, without taking any payment, an opinion which offers a worrying reflection into how some journalists believe that nobody is willing to do the right thing for the right reasons.

On the honour killing, the discussion focused on how to change the mindset of people regarding an individual’s right to choose their own spouse, especially in the case of women.

A journalist highlighted that the issue was not just confined to poor, low literacy, or conservative families, but rather was due to structural misogyny, which required years, not days, to change.

“One day, conservative older generations who are staunch in their opinions will die. The goal should be to make younger people aware of their rights and encourage them to fight for themselves and their brothers and sisters.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2016.