ISLAMABAD, Jan 6: In the backdrop of heightening tension in the region, Pakistan will accord a warm welcome to Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, who comes here on Monday after meeting his Indian counterpart, Atal Behari Vajpayee.
The British Prime Minister, since he embarked on his tour of the Subcontinent on Thursday with an overnight visit to Bangladesh, has been bending over backwards to impress upon New Delhi that while he is not looking for a mediatory role in India’s dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, he nevertheless would like to help out the two countries in removing the immediate causes of their war-like confrontation.
He is likely to make the same offer to Pakistan when he meets President Gen Pervez Musharraf here on Monday. Pakistan has always welcomed help from friendly countries in its efforts to normalize its relations with India. It is, therefore, believed that Mr Blair would find Mr Musharraf an attentive listener if he were to bring some fresh ideas on the urgent issues that had led to the increased tensions in the region.
Mr Blair’s visit to the region was planned much before the Dec 13 terrorist attack on the Indian parliament and was primarily meant to reinvigorate Britain’s bilateral relations with the three countries. Nevertheless, the deteriorating situation on the borders of India and Pakistan is likely to take the centre stage in the bilateral talks between the leaders of Pakistan and Britain as it did in his talks with the Indian leadership.
His second visit to Pakistan within three months is aimed at rebuilding the bilateral relations which had become rather tenuous since the military takeover in October 1999. The British Prime Minister is also likely to discuss with Islamabad the post-Taliban developments in Afghanistan and that country’s rehabilitation and reconstruction needs.
His earlier visit to Islamabad was part of the US-led coalition’s campaign to win the support of various countries for the war on terrorism and to offer all help to Pakistan.
During the current visit, the British Prime Minister is likely to discuss the resumption of Pak-UK defence relations which were cut off after the Oct 1999 military takeover.
Britain has supported Pakistan’s political and economic reform agenda and it has also played a vital role in the decision of the EU to provide Pakistan increased access to European markets.
During the last 10 years Britain has contributed 25 per cent of all foreign investment flowing into Pakistan and that has made Britain the largest single investor in the country.
Britain’s new development programme in Pakistan is four times the size of last year’s programme. Before Sept 11, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) had planned to provide 15 million pounds worth of assistance to Pakistan in 2001-02. Subsequently, the UK announced a further 11 million pounds of assistance and an extra 15 million pounds of budgetary aid. The total UK bilateral aid to Pakistan in the current year will be around 41 million pounds.
