Bilateral relations exist between
Australia and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Former Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf
General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...
having visited Australia in 2005, former Australian Prime Minister
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
also visited Pakistan in 2005. In 2011, there were 30,000
Pakistani Australians.
Overview
The relations between the two countries have been friendly, with former Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf
General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...
having visited Australia in 2005 and the then Prime Minister of Australia,
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
, having visited Pakistan in 2005 as well, following the
2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Indian-administered Jammu an ...
which had targeted the northern areas of Pakistan. He also announced 500 new scholarships for Pakistani students to study in Australia.
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.
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.
Trade
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.
Military relations
Both Australia and Pakistan were a part of the South East Asian version of
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
called
SEATO, also known as a 'mutual defence pact'. 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.
Sporting relations
The two countries are particularly known for their long sporting history in
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
, and the contests between their national sides.
Diplomatic missions
The High Commission of Australia in
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capita ...
is the diplomatic mission of Australia to Pakistan. The High Commission was established in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
in 1948, with Australia's first High Commissioner to Pakistan appointed in 1949. When the Pakistani government moved its capital from Karachi to Islamabad in 1966, the Australian High Commission also moved.
Public perceptions
According to a 2013
BBC World Service Poll, 10% of Australians viewed Pakistani influence positively, with 79% expressing a negative view.
2013 World Service Poll
'' BBC''
See also
* Pakistani Australian
* Australians in Pakistan
* Karachi To Melbourne Tram
External links
*National Geographic Newswatch: Australia and Pakistan: A Neglected Relationship
*Pakistan Australia Friendship Association
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia-Pakistan relations
Bilateral relations of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...