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.[1] 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.[2] Historically, Britain and Pakistan allied to prevent the incursion of communism.[3] It was a final wish of founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the British and Pakistani people to enjoy friendship and good relations.
History[edit]
Although trade from the Sindh Province began more than 100 years before it, the Formerly part of the British Empire, Pakistan became independent from the UK in 1947 under the terms of the Indian Independence Act.[4] 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.[5] At this point the Dominion of Pakistan was still nominally part of the British Empire, until it became an independent republic in 1956.[6]
Pakistan left the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972 in protest of the recognition of Bangladeshi independence,[7] before rejoining in 1989.[8]
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.[9]
Pakistan still has an important but declining number of British India born citizens and residents in the country.
The UK and Pakistan are increasingly moving to become a Special Relationship.
European Union[edit]
The European Union have virtually no presence in Pakistan even though KLM were the first airline to fly to Karachi 100 years ago so London is seen as a Western bridge to that. There has been no EU based airline in Pakistan for nearly twenty years despite high demand for it.
Rehman Chishti the first Pakistani MP was aginst the UK being in the European Union during the 2016 referendum. EU - Pakistan relations being very underdeveloped and having no European visitors in Pakistan negativly impacts the diversity of Pro-European movements.