Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan and the United Kingdom held their first federal-level development dialogue in eight years on Wednesday, signaling renewed momentum in bilateral economic engagement.
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Aurangzeb and the Development Minister of UK discussed reforms and cooperation as new Green Compact and Education Gateway initiatives are launched.
The discussions come as UK–Pakistan trade has surpassed £5.5 billion for the first time, with over 200 British companies currently operating in Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Finance, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and the UK Minister for Development, Baroness Chapman, alongside British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.
During the talks, both sides reviewed Pakistan’s ongoing reform efforts, broader development priorities, and explored avenues to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, climate resilience, and education.
Earlier in the day, Baroness Chapman, together with Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, inaugurated the next phase of the Pak-UK Education Gateway.
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The initiative, a joint effort by the British Council and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, aims to strengthen academic collaboration on climate change and economic growth challenges.
The new phase includes a start-up fund to support the commercialization of research and expands access to UK university programs for Pakistani students through distance-learning pathways.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb welcomed the UK’s support at the IMF, which contributed to completing Pakistan’s program reviews.
He highlighted the government’s progress in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reforms, covering taxation, energy, state-owned enterprises, public finance management, and privatization.
Aurangzeb also discussed work on energy sector efficiencies, debt management, pension reform, and measures aimed at restoring fiscal sustainability while creating space for social sector priorities.
The dialogue further addressed Pakistan’s federal-provincial coordination, women’s economic participation, demographic challenges, family planning, and social protection policies.
Chapman also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to launch regulatory reforms designed to improve Pakistan’s business environment.
Minahil Khurshid holds a Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies from NUST. She is passionate about current affairs, public policy, and geopolitics.
