UK and Pakistan enjoy close relations: Wajid

 

LONDON: Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan has said the two countries over the years have made great strides in deepening and broadening their multifaceted relations but urged the British Government to drop its travel advisories as it negates his country's efforts towards achieving economic stability.

  

He was speaking at a reception hosted for the delegates to the annual Labour Party Conference in coastal town of Brighton last night.

  

The High Commissioner highlighted problems faced by Pakistani citizens especially students, businessmen and cultural troupes in obtaining British visas and said ever since the visa operations shifted out of Islamabad, the Pakistani students have suffered the most.

  

He said such advisory paints a bleak picture for doing business in his country.

 

"It negates our efforts towards achieving economic stability in the country. A prosperous and economically stable Pakistan is the best guarantee against extremism," he pointed out.

 

Speaking on the ties between the two countries, the envoy said: "Today our co-operation in countering global terrorist challenge illustrates the journey we have taken. The frequency of bilateral contacts between the two countries at the highest level has further strengthened bilateral relationship."

 

In this regard, Hasan pointed out that President Asif Ali Zardari has visited UK five times since assuming the highest civilian office in Pakistan.

 

He further mentioned that during President Zardari's visit in May this year, the two countries agreed to establish Strategic Dialogue in a number of areas including security, economic, defence and socio-cultural fields.

 

The High Commissioner expressed thanks to the British Government for its extensive assistance to the socio-economic challenges faced by Pakistan especially in the rehabilitation of Swat and Malakand IDPs.

 

Hasan also welcomed the initiative by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to establish a Task Force one education in Pakistan and the financial resources allocated towards this objectives.

 

He said Britons of Pakistani heritage are contributing in various social, political and economic fields to enrich Britain's multicultural ethos and mentioned that their contributions exceeds 31 billion pounds sterling in the British GDP.

 

Responding to the speech, the British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said the United Kingdom and Pakistan are working closely together to tackle challenges common to both the countries.

 

He spoke of the growing relationship between the two countries underpinned by historical ties and the presence of a large British-Pakistani community.

 

Ainsworth described the relationship between the two governments and those of the military co-operation as 'very good and close'.

 

"Together we can tackle the issues that beset Pakistan in terms of terrorist threat," he said while praising the Pakistani military for driving out the militants from Swat and Malakand region.

 

He also appreciated the efforts of the Pakistani Government on the security issues and said it was doing its best to keep the country on a road towards progress and prosperity.

 

On the situation in Afghanistan, Ainsworth said the problems in that country could not be resolved without the active support and assistance of Pakistan.

 

He mentioned that the UK mission in Afghanistan will only end when both Afghanistan and Pakistan are in a position to confront the security issues of their own and this was the reason why his country is helping in the capacity building of Afghan national army and police and the civilian institutions in Pakistan.

 

A number of British parliamentarians including Mike Gapes, Keith Vaz, Virender Sharma, Martin Linton, members European Parliament Richard Howitt and Nina Gill and councillors of Pakistani descent attend the event at the Grand Hotel, the venue of the annual conference.

 

 

October 1, 2009

APP