ISLAMABAD   -   Pakistan is aiming to boost ties with the United Kingdom as a new Labour government took charge last week.

Immediately after the Labour Party won, Pakistan’s top political leadership congratulated British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer for his historic victory in his country’s national elections, hoping the two countries would further strengthen their ties under his leadership. The Labour Party swept to power after more than a decade in opposition, as a jaded electorate handed the party a landslide victory, punishing the governing Conservatives after 14 years of economic and political upheaval. With almost all the results in, Labour had won 410 seats in the 650-member House of Commons and the Conservatives 118.

Starmer later became the Prime Minister, leading his party back to government less than five years after it suffered its worst defeat in almost a century.

“Congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer on the landslide victory of the Labour Party in the general elections,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a social media post. “Looking forward to working closely with the new UK government, under Sir Starmer’s wise and able leadership, to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-UK partnership.”

President Asif Ali Zardari also wrote a message of felicitation on his social media account, saying he hoped the new UK leader would “play his role in addressing shared challenges faced by the world.”

Other Pakistani officials also exchanged greetings either the new UK counterparts vowing to boost the partnership further.

Britain has experienced a run of turbulent years - some of it of the Conservatives’ own making and some of it not - that has left many voters pessimistic about the future.

The UK’s exit from the European Union followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine battered the economy, while lockdown-breaching parties held by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff caused widespread resentment and anger.

The UK is Pakistan’s largest European trading, investment, and development partner. It is also one of Pakistan’s leading development assistance partners. The UK has one of the largest Pakistani diasporas in Europe, estimated at over 1.6 million.

Regular high-level interactions take place between the two countries. Recently, in May 2022, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and then Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a telephonic interaction.

The two leaders discussed a number of issues, including trade, the human rights situation in Afghanistan and the Ukraine conflict. Hailing the friendly bilateral relationship characterized by close people-to-people contacts, the two leaders agreed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Pak-UK relations this year in a befitting manner.

On the side-lines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali in June 2022, Pakistan’s then Minister of State for foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar met with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK’s Minister of State for South Asia.

The institutional mechanism of the “Enhanced Strategic Dialogue” was established in 2011.

Even after its withdrawal from the EU, the UK continues to provide Pakistan’s exports access to its market at zero tariff under the Enhanced Trade Framework, the post-Brexit successor to EU’s GSP.

The UK is Pakistan’s largest export destination in Europe and third largest export destination globally. In 2021, total bilateral trade witnessed an increase of 27%, rising from US$2.337 billion in the year ending 31st Dec. 2020 to US$2.974 billion in the year ending 31st December 2021.

Remittances from the UK to Pakistan have witnessed substantial growth recently, with figures showing an increase of 35% from US$3.209 billion in the year ending 31st Dec. 2020 to around US$4.337 billion in the year ending 31st Dec. 2021. The UK is also among the top sources of investment in Roshan Digital Accounts (RDAs).

The UK is the second largest overseas investor in Pakistan with cumulative investment till date of more than US$10 billion), British FDI in Pakistan is in sectors such as financial services, oil & gas exploration, petroleum refining, electricity generation, pharmaceutical, publishing, industrial chemicals and cement.

The UK is a popular international destination for Pakistani students pursuing higher education. The number of students from Pakistan in UK universities during the academic year 2020-21 was 12,975, an increase of around 66% over the academic year 2019-20 when it stood at 7,830.