ABSTRACT
The conclusion argues that Britain’s ability to punch above its weight in diplomatic circles in Pakistan has rested on historical ties, the influence of individual High Commissioners and the new connections provided by the Pakistani Diaspora in Britain. The latter has been strengthened by the High Commission’s adroit use of digital diplomacy. Pakistan over the decades since independence has relied much more on the United States for material financial, military, and diplomatic support, but this relationship has been transactional. The British ties, in contrast, are based on the sentiment that has increasingly relied on the effective deployment of ‘soft power’. Britain has also used the much-discussed ‘special relationship’ with the United States to further its interests in South Asia and especially Pakistan. This has worked because of the close strategic aims of the two countries, although they have disagreed over tactics. The conclusion ends with a survey of the decade since 2010. This highlights the continuing importance of Public Diplomacy and the ongoing ties of sentiment, which will enable Britain and Pakistan to work closely together in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.
