The UK and Pakistan promise to strengthen their investment and economic relations.
By signing the Pak–UK Trade Dialogue Mechanism, Pakistan and the UK have reiterated their commitment to strengthening economic relations.
Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, met with Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade Policy of the United Kingdom, to discuss the framework’s progress toward increasing bilateral investment and trade.
Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that Pakistan and the UK have a strong, long-standing relationship based on cultural and interpersonal links, and that the time has come to equal that strength economically. We want to transform goodwill into progress.
“We have only scratched the surface of £5.5 billion in bilateral trade,” he stated. “Our genuine economic potential must now be unlocked by the Trade Dialogue Mechanism.”
In order to address priority areas and open up commercial prospects, he emphasized the significance of quickly operationalizing the three working groups created under the Trade Dialogue Mechanism.
The initiative, which was signed in July 2025 and calls for yearly ministerial interactions, was welcomed by UK Minister Bryant. It also mandates that the working groups be operational within six months.
He urged expert-led ideas to improve trade efficiency and emphasized the significance of technical debates on tariffs and SPS measures.
The UK side was briefed by Ahsan Iqbal on Pakistan’s recent economic developments, pointing out that GDP was rebounding and inflation was declining. He declared, “Pakistan has turned around the recent economic slump.” “The nation is more open to business than ever before.”
According to him, the administration, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sought to establish Pakistan as a regional center for investment and recognized information technology and highly qualified human capital as crucial areas for cooperation.
Today, Pakistan’s most valuable resource is its youthful, highly qualified tech workforce. Working together on deep technology, Pakistan and the UK can build a new economic bridge,” he continued.
Prof. Iqbal described cultural links as a “living bridge” between the two countries, and both sides also talked about strengthening cooperation in the areas of fashion, music, culture, and tourism.
Minister Bryant was invited to visit Pakistan by Prof. Iqbal, who concluded the discussion by saying he was confident he would “find a country ready for transformation, investment, and partnership with the world.”