UK Minister Stephen Doughty Visits Pakistan to Strengthen Cooperation on Trade, Education and Security
Minister holds talks with Pakistani leaders on economic growth, regional stability, counter-terrorism and university partnerships
UK Minister Stephen Doughty meets Pakistani leaders during his first official visit to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: UK Minister of State Stephen Doughty has concluded his first visit to Pakistan since taking responsibility for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Doughty’s visit focused on strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom in areas including economic growth, trade, education, regional security, counter-terrorism and migration.
The minister met senior Pakistani political leaders and other stakeholders to discuss shared priorities and ways to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Talks Focus on Trade and Regional Security
During his visit, Doughty held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar.
The discussions covered economic growth and trade, regional security, stability in Afghanistan, counter-terrorism cooperation and efforts to reduce the risk of escalation in the region.
Doughty also met politicians from across Pakistan’s political spectrum and members of civil society. During these engagements, he reaffirmed the UK’s stated commitment to human rights and democratic freedoms.
The UK minister said the two countries share deep and historic ties built through connections between their people, businesses and institutions.
He said his first visit was focused on strengthening cooperation across areas ranging from trade and education to security and regional stability.
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UK and Pakistan Expand University Links
Education was another major focus of the visit.
Doughty joined discussions with Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC), university leaders and the British Council on the future of transnational education and ways to strengthen links between institutions in the two countries.
More than 15,000 Pakistani students studied for UK qualifications in Pakistan through transnational education during 2024–25, according to the UK government. The figure represents an 83% increase over the previous decade.
Pakistan is now the fourth-largest host country globally for UK transnational education, with UK institutions accounting for around 65% of Pakistan’s TNE market.
The discussions also covered opportunities to expand UK qualifications and university partnerships in areas including STEM, healthcare and technology.
The British Council plans to bring a delegation of UK universities to Pakistan next March to explore further partnerships. The initiative aims to support more than 100 British universities working with Pakistani institutions by the end of the decade.
Strong People-to-People and Trade Links
The UK and Pakistan have longstanding people-to-people connections, with around 1.7 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK.
Bilateral trade is worth around £5.5 billion annually, according to the UK government, with trade links continuing to expand.
Doughty said the growth in partnerships between British and Pakistani universities demonstrated the potential for further cooperation.
He also highlighted the importance of helping young people develop skills needed for the future.
The visit comes as both countries continue to work across economic, educational and security issues, with the UK government describing its Pakistan engagement as focused on sustainable development, economic interests, security, democracy and human rights.
