Pakistan–Philippines relations

Pakistan-Philippines relations

Pakistan

Philippines

Pakistan–Philippines relations refers to bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Philippines.

History

The Philippines established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on September 8, 1949 through the opening of a Philippine Consulate in Pakistan. Following the diplomatic visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy to the Philippines in May 1957 the Philippine Consulate in Karachi was elevated into an embassy.[1][2] Pakistan also opened an embassy in Manila,[3] and the Philippines later moved its embassy to Islamabad.[4]

Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2006 was around US$70 million.[5] With Philippine imports from Pakistan worth more than US$42.3 million, mostly including garments and pharmaceutical drugs. Philippine exports to Pakistan are valued at about US$28.8 million in 2006. Pakistan-Philippines Business Council was created to promote trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.[6]

Migration

There are around 3,000 Filipinos working as domestic helpers in Pakistan. Around 60 religious students from Mindanao also study at various Islamic seminary of Pakistan.[7] In 2005, up to 1,000 Pakistanis also lived in the Philippines.[8]

There is also a large expatriate population of both overseas Filipino and overseas Pakistanis in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. And as such there is a significant social contact between the Pakistani and Filipino people in Middle Eastern countries.

Defense cooperation

Pakistan is fighting a guerrilla war against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, and so is the Philippines fighting an insurgency war against MILF, both the countries therefore face a common terrorism threat. Pakistan and the Philippines have signed a memorandum of understanding serving as a "legal framework to facilitate cooperation and inter-operability between the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies of the two countries".[9]

Bilateral visit

Then-Pakistani Prime Ministers Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (May 1957), Mohammad Khan Junejo (May 1988), and Benazir Bhutto (February 1995) made visits to the Philippines. In July 1962, then-Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal visited Pakistan.[1]

In 2005, then-President Pervez Musharraf was the first Pakistani head of state officially to visit the Philippines, hosted by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.[10]

Helicopter crash in Pakistan

On 8 May 2015, Philippine Ambassador Domingo Lucenario, Jr. was killed in a helicopter crash in Naltar Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Pakistan-Philippines journey to friendship". BusinessMirror. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  2. "Overview of Philippines and Pakistan Relations". Philippine Embassy - Islamabad, Pakistan. Official Gazette of the Philippines. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  3. Embassy of Pakistan in Philippines.
  4. Embassy of Philippines in Pakistan
  5. Why Pakistan matters to the Philippines Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. Pakistan-Philippines Business Council
  7. Why Pakistan matters to the Philippines Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. Yearbook 2004-2005 Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Labour, Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis (Overseas Pakistanis Division) Archived 2010-05-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. Philippines, Pakistan agree to boost intelligence cooperation
  10. Philippines, Pakistan agree to boost intelligence cooperation
  11. "DFA confirms envoy's death in Pakistan chopper crash". GMA News. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
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