Pakistan UK Cooperation to Deepen on Security, Trade
Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Thursday agreed to deepen cooperation in multiple areas, according to the Foreign Office. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received the visiting UK minister of state for security, Dan Jarvis, in Islamabad, where both sides reviewed existing bilateral ties and agreed to further deepen cooperation in security, law enforcement, migration, trade and investment.
Dar and Jarvis also exchanged views on regional and global developments and discussed further meetings under the R4 + E4 framework, the Foreign Office said, referring to a meeting of the two regional groups in Istanbul last month. Dawn reported the meeting on Thursday.
“Dar underscored the importance of continued Pakistan-UK cooperation on bilateral matters and on regional developments of mutual interest,” the Foreign Office said.
Dar met Jarvis in Islamabad
The meeting was the second high-level Pakistan-UK engagement in two days. A day earlier, the two countries held their annual bilateral counter-terrorism dialogue in Islamabad, where they reviewed ongoing bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms.
At that dialogue, both sides expressed concern over the continuing threat posed by terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operating in and from Afghanistan. Feature Pakistan reported the counter-terrorism dialogue on Wednesday, when the two sides set the next round for London in 2027.
Thursday’s meeting widened the agenda beyond security. Migration and trade joined law enforcement on the list of areas where the two sides agreed to work more closely, a sign that the relationship is being treated as a broad partnership rather than a single-issue security channel.
Pakistan UK cooperation builds on counter-terror talks
The two sides discussed in detail the evolving regional and global security environment and exchanged views on the threats posed by terrorist entities, including transnational terrorist networks, the Foreign Office said after Wednesday’s dialogue.
Both sides underscored the “urgent need for a stable, secure Afghanistan as a cornerstone for lasting peace and prosperity across the region”. That shared assessment now sits behind the wider cooperation agreed on Thursday, with security remaining the first item on the list.
The timing also matters for trade. Pakistan’s exporters are looking for new openings as exports to Europe dipped in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, and Egypt has invited Pakistani factories to serve the US market. A deeper trade and investment channel with the UK would give exporters another market to work with.
What the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue covers
Islamabad and London have been engaged in the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue since 2011, which has deepened and broadened the dialogue between the two countries. It covers trade, economic growth and development, cultural cooperation, security, and education.
The dialogue gives the two governments a standing structure for talks, so meetings such as Thursday’s do not start from scratch. The R4 + E4 framework discussed by Dar and Jarvis is a newer addition, bringing regional groupings into the same conversation after their meeting in Istanbul last month.
On the diplomatic front, Pakistan has also been refreshing its representation abroad. Haider Shah recently presented his credentials as Pakistan’s new envoy to the United Nations, part of the same outward push that the UK engagement reflects.
Frequently asked questions
Who met in Islamabad on Thursday?
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received UK minister of state for security Dan Jarvis.
What did Pakistan and the UK agree to?
Both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in security, law enforcement, migration, trade and investment.
What is the R4 + E4 framework?
It is a framework of two regional groupings that met in Istanbul last month. Dar and Jarvis discussed further meetings under it.
What happened a day earlier?
Pakistan and the UK held their annual bilateral counter-terrorism dialogue, voiced concern over terrorist groups operating in and from Afghanistan, and set the next round for London in 2027.
