Karachi: Pakistan has expressed its concerns over the recent spate of xenophobic remarks directed towards the Pakistani community in the United Kingdom.
According to Radio Pakistan, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shafqat Ali Khan, responded to media queries, emphasizing that the Pakistan-UK friendship is characterized by warmth, cordiality, robust cooperation, and trust. He highlighted that this relationship, nurtured over decades, remains an important priority of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
The spokesperson elaborated on the deep and multifaceted relations between the two countries, which cover important areas including trade and investment, education, security, counter-terrorism, parliamentary cooperation, and people-to-people contacts. He underlined that the presence of the 1.7 million strong British-Pakistani diaspora provides the strongest link between the two friendly countries.
Khan expressed deep concern over the increasingly racist and Islamophobic political and media commentary in the UK, which aims at conflating the reprehensible actions of a few individuals with the entire 1.7 million British Pakistani diaspora. He stressed that British nationals of Pakistani origin have a rich history of contributing to the United Kingdom’s growth, development, and freedom.
He further recalled that an exceptionally large number of predominantly Muslim soldiers, from what is now Pakistan, served in the British Indian army and laid down their lives for the cause of democracy in both World Wars. Today, British Pakistanis form the backbone of the UK’s health, retail, and services sectors.
The spokesperson noted that many British Pakistanis hold high public office, with thousands serving their communities as Members of Parliament, mayors, councilors, and as members of local police and municipal services. He also mentioned their excellence in sports and arts, stating that their cuisine and music enrich British culture.
In conclusion, Khan asserted that demonizing such a large and diverse community based on the actions of a few individuals needs to be condemned.