File photo of UK flag. PHOTO:FILE
It is a refreshing change of pace for the prime ministers of Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) to meet and for the discussion to be focused on trade and economic development. Given the focus on terrorism in such talks usually, it is easy to forget that our country can be seen as an economic opportunity for investors and traders in other parts of the world.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s effort to make trade and investment front and centre of his agenda in Islamabad was an attempt by a friendly foreign dignitary to remind us of our own economic potential. For our part, we would do well to learn carefully who our true friends are. Pakistan’s economic relationship with Britain — once defined by the remnants of colonialism — is now heavily tilted in our favour.
Trade between Pakistan and the UK is now worth over $2.1 billion, a figure that Prime Minister Cameron said he would like to see doubled in the next two years. It is also biased in Pakistan’s favour: our trade surplus with the UK was just over $461 million in 2012. London is also the second-biggest donor of financial aid to Islamabad — in addition to being one of the most consistent and one of those with the least amount of strings attached.
At a time when companies from other parts of the world are scaling back their operations in the country, British companies are investing heavily in Pakistan. Over the past decade, British investment into Pakistan has reached a net amount of $3.7 billion. Indeed, the numbers seem to suggest that the British can be counted as true friends of Pakistan. The one unsettling factor in recent days has been the UK’s new proposal to require a 3,000-pound bond by visitors from six countries including Pakistan, who visit the UK on six-month visit visas. One hopes that this discriminatory proposal is shot down before it becomes law and leads to increasing mistrust of the West, counteracting other confidence building measures such as increased trade.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (7)
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Its USA and UK playing the good cop - bad cop routine. USA is the boss...the bad cop. It sends out the good cop -- UK to deal with naughty criminals like Pakistan. Its the job of the good cop to appear very nice, very friendly, on your side..but in reality his job is to deliver tough messages from the boss.
@Deepwater: Dear Deepwater, I totally agree with you. Trade with Britain by all means, but anybody who places complete trust in the British has to be low functioning. Britain, via the East India company, devastated the Sub-Continent for 2 hundred years. Is Pakistan forgetting the East India company, which is still in operation but under different names?
I expected a more mature article then this from ET, the facts are true but it seems to be too emotional just like the Pakistan people. Why do we have to see everyone with a black & white magnifying glass? Why does everyone have to either be our best friend or worst enemy? Don't you think that Britain has something to gain in this relationship as well and it is a positive sign for both countries? Do you think that British companies are investing in Pakistan just because we are their best friends? Come on, stop being so childish!!
I don't understand the Pakistani tendency to romanticize international relations. Apparently, this tendency extends to this newspaper's editors as well. International relations are not governed by love or emotion or friendship - just by self-interest right here, right now.
Be pragmatic, not romantic.
This Banana Republic can't be anyone's friend. If it is so much concerned about Pakistan then it would not harbor people who attack solidary of Pakistan from its soil all the time.
Then why has Pakistan cherry picked Pakistan amongst some of the most failed and dysfunctional countries of the world such as India and Nigeria whose citizens have to pay 3000 pounds before hand to come to UK? 60% of UK retail is operated by Pakistanis and most of the economy runs on Pakistani labour
"Indeed, the numbers seem to suggest that the British can be counted as true friends of Pakistan."
In international relations there are no friends or foes, only interests count. Are Pakistanis smart enough to conduct their foreign policy on this very basic principal ? Not in my view. Pakistanis are too emotional people and this why they get exploited by all sorts of countries. If Pakistanis use their head more than the heart, most beneficial relationships will be Indo-Pak , Pak-Iran and Af-Pak. Unfortunately its these very three where the relations are at the lowest. Test of Pakistani foreign policy is in setting these three relations at most friendly level.