The British High Commission works with Pakistan towards all four of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s policy goals.

Counter terrorism, weapons proliferation and their causes

Pakistan is a crucial country for the UK’s counter terrorism strategy.  Many of the terrorist attacks and planned attacks in the UK in recent years have had links to Pakistan.  Pakistan itself is also a major victim of terrorism; hundreds of people, including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, were killed in almost 60 suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan in 2007.

To counter this shared threat, the UK and Pakistan work closely together on operational matters, and on tackling the process and the causes of radicalisation.

The UK and Pakistan also maintain an ongoing dialogue to counter the threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Prevent and resolve conflict

Pakistan occupies a vital geo-strategic location in a volatile region, bordering Iran, Afghanistan, China and India.  The High Commission works closely with the Pakistani Government and civil society to prevent and resolve conflict, particularly by promoting peace, dialogue and reconciliation between the peoples of Pakistan on the one hand and India and Afghanistan in particular on the other.

Good governance and the promotion of democracy and human rights are a core part of the High Commission’s work, and crucial to Pakistan’s internal stability and prosperity.  Democracy has found it hard to take root in Pakistan, which has been ruled by military governments for around half its history.  Following the general election of February 2008, which was assessed as credible by the international community, the UK is committed to helping Pakistan consolidate its transition to a lasting democracy.

Promote a low carbon, high growth global economy

Climate change is going to have a major impact on the developing world.  The UK, as one of the countries that industrialised first, has a responsibility to lead the global debate on climate change, and is raising awareness in Pakistan of the likely effects and helping to explore options for mitigating them.

The Department for International Development has committed £480 million over the period 2008-11 to reduce poverty and inequality in Pakistan.  DFID is currently working on a range of programmes on health, governance, growth, water and sanitation, earthquake reconstruction, and gender.

Develop effective international organisations, above all the UN and EU

The UK, as a permanent member of the Security Council, and Pakistan, the largest contributor in the world to UN peacekeeping missions, have an important stake in the UN.  The UK and Pakistan maintain an ongoing dialogue on issues such as UN reform in order to ensure the effectiveness of the international system into the 21st century.