Relationship dossier
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Substantial development and security cooperation alongside recurring political differences
Pakistan toward United Kingdom
+35Pakistan has engaged the United Kingdom through bilateral strategic dialogue and security cooperation, including on counterterrorism. This sustained government engagement supports a cooperative relationship, although its scope and continuity are unclear.
United Kingdom toward Pakistan
+40The United Kingdom has provided development assistance to Pakistan and engaged its government through bilateral strategic dialogue and security cooperation. UK-Pakistan engagement has also included political differences over human rights and Kashmir.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a durable structure of bilateral dialogue, development assistance and security engagement. These practical ties coexist with political sensitivities, including UK concerns about human rights in Pakistan and differing positions on Kashmir, making the partnership substantial but not exceptionally close.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Pakistan and the United Kingdom maintain substantial government engagement, including a bilateral strategic dialogue and cooperation on security and development. The UK has provided development assistance to Pakistan, while the two governments have also faced differences over issues including human rights and the handling of Kashmir. The relationship combines sustained practical cooperation with recurring political sensitivities.
Areas of tension
- Differences over the status of Kashmir and the role of outside governments in the dispute.
- UK concerns about human rights and Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
Key developments
The two governments established a bilateral strategic dialogue, creating a framework for regular engagement on shared priorities.
The United Kingdom provided development assistance to Pakistan, including support for development and education programmes.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and continuity of security cooperation are unclear.
- The scale and implementation of current development cooperation are uncertain.
- The extent to which disputes over human rights and Kashmir affect government cooperation is unclear.