Australia–Pakistan relations

Australia–Pakistan relations refers to the bilateral relations between Australia and Pakistan. The relations between the two countries have been friendly, with former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf having visited Australia in 2005[1] and the former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, having visited Pakistan in 2005 as well, following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake which had targeted the northern areas of Pakistan. He also announced 500 new scholarships for Pakistani students to study in Australia.[2]

Australia–Pakistan relations

Pakistan
Australia
Monthly value of Australian merchandise exports to Pakistan (A$ millions) since 1988
Monthly value of Pakistani merchandise exports to Australia (A$ millions) since 1988

Trade ties

Pakistan's exports to Australia reached their peak in 2011 by reaching US$167 million while imports in the same period reached US$437 million. Both countries vowed to take the bilateral trade to US$1 billion with some concerted efforts at public and private levels.[3]

Counter-terrorism pact

During Musharraf's visit in 2005, the two nations signed a counter-terrorism pact which was an agreement between Pakistan and Australia in encountering terrorism, which remains a wide-scale global problem. The memorandum allowed joint training exercises between the Pakistani and Australian security forces as well as the sharing of sensitive intelligence.

Australia-Pakistan Development Partnership Program

The two countries in the past have collaborated in talks and actions on joint ventures relating to agriculture, dairy, livestock and mining. Australia provides scholarships to Pakistani students every year to study at master's level in Australia. Over 500 scholarships have been given to Pakistani students for postgraduate studies in Australia.[4]

Pakistani Australians

According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of the Government of Australia, the 2011 Australian census states that there were 30,221 Pakistan-born people in Australia, an increase of 77.8 per cent from the 2006 Census. The 2011 distribution by state and territory showed New South Wales had the largest number, with 13,382, followed by Victoria (9187), Western Australia (2521) and Queensland (2357). According to the Pakistan Embassy in Canberra, the number of Pakistanis in Australia is closer to 70,000 as the Department of Immigration and Citizenship does not include the children of Pakistanis who are born in Australia.[5][6]

Military relations
George Timothy, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan

Both Australia and Pakistan were a part of the South East Asian version of NATO called SEATO, also known as a 'mutual defence pact'.[7] The two countries have held bilateral defence and security talks since 2006. The 1.5 Track Security Dialogue was initiated in 2010. The talks involve the two governments, while the 1.5 Track Dialogue involves a number of key decision makers and think tanks from both sides. Defence cooperation has increased considerably as a result of the two mechanisms. The focus of cooperation has been on training programmes.[8]

Sporting relations

The two countries are particularly known for their long sporting history in cricket, and the contests between their national sides.[9]

See also

References
  1. "BBC NEWS - South Asia - Musharraf on key Australia visit". Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  2. "Earthquakes in South Asia – Australian Government". Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  3. http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/09/01/city/lahore/australia-values-its-relations-with-pakistan-john-hogg/
  4. "Australia to provide Pakistan with $200 million financial assistance". Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  5. Department of Immigration and Citizentship, Government of Australia, http://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/02_2014/pakistan.pdf
  6. High Commission of Pakistan SBS Radio Message (Urdu)
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2017-10-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2 November 2012). "Pakistan and Australia hold security dialogue". Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  9. Jackson, Russell (14 December 2016). "Australia and Pakistan's cricket history a rare object of mutual fascination". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
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