Pakistan, UK eye major trade boost amid high-ranking British official’s visit to Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) expect a major boost in bilateral trade between the two countries, the Pakistani commerce ministry said on Monday, following the arrival of British Trade Commissioner Oliver Christian in Islamabad on a three-day visit.
Christian, who serves as the Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and Pakistan as well as the UK counsel general to Dubai, landed in Islamabad over the weekend on his first-ever trip to strengthen economic and trade links with Pakistan.
He has facilitated over £78 billion in investment and export deals apart from playing a key role in launching the UK Global Investment Summit and the Office of Investment, according to the British high commission in Islamabad.
On Monday, the UK trade commissioner, met with Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal to explore avenues to enhance bilateral trade, the Pakistani commerce ministry said.
“The meeting highlighted the need for sectoral collaboration and a business-to-business matchmaking approach to target growth areas in both countries,” it said in a statement. “Jam Kamal emphasized Pakistan’s immense potential in the food sector, particularly through value addition.”
Kamal underscored his government’s commitment to expanding trade and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s plan to achieve an ambitious export growth target of $60 billion from the existing $30 billion. He highlighted Pakistan’s success in organizing an International Food and Agriculture Exhibition in Karachi on Aug. 9-11, where more than 800 foreign delegates participated.
“This was the first event of its kind, with such a large international presence and it opened doors to significant business opportunities,” the minister said.
Citing Pakistan’s growing exports in information technology, mining, horticulture and dairy, Kamal discussed the potential for future exports, including olive products. “Pakistan is on its way to becoming a significant olive exporter, with vast cultivation underway,” he shared.
The UK trade commissioner acknowledged Pakistan’s vast potential and assured full support for increasing the trade volume between the two nations, according to the Pakistani commerce ministry. Both sides emphasized the importance of the UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue, a platform to be established soon to promote trade and investment.
As the UK diversifies its import sources post-Brexit, Kamal highlighted Pakistan’s potential to become a key supplier of food products to the UK, given its compliance with international standards.
Pakistan and the UK have a long and multifaceted relationship, with the latter hosting a large Pakistani diaspora community. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also accepted an invitation by King Charles III over a telephone call last week to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa next month from October 21-26.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s deputy premier Ishaq Dar also embarked on a five-day official visit to London, where he held wide-ranging discussions with the new British administration.
During his visit, Christian will announce significant new partnerships, including a strategic transnational education agreement between Beaconhouse International College and the University of Essex, the British high commission said on Sunday. The partnership with Essex University aimed to provide Pakistani students access to world-class education in business, computing and law subjects, it added.
The high commission said Britain’s Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust partnered with Novacare hospitals to set up a 250-bed hospital in Islamabad, which would open in 2026 and offer 28 clinical services along international standards.
Terming Pakistan as the third-largest trade partner, British Deputy High Commissioner Sarah Mooney said on Sunday the UK was committed to “driving economic development,” while addressing challenges that “hold back growth.”
“This visit reinforces our commitment to working together to unlock opportunities to benefit both countries,” she said.
Christain said British firms operating in Pakistan were market leaders in their respective fields that were “trusted by millions of consumers.”
“We are dedicated to strengthening our economic relationship with Pakistan, not just through investments and partnerships but by working together to demonstrate the opportunity here for UK businesses,” he said.
The high commission said the UK was Pakistan’s third-largest export market, with the total trade amounting to $5 billion in the four quarters leading up to the end of 2024.