Sharif lands in the UK for the fourth time amid economic meltdown in Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the UK on Wednesday to attend King Charles III’s coronation and the Commonwealth leaders’ summit. He also plans to meet his brother and former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif regarding governance issues.

Sharif is on the UK visit at a time when the country is suffering from high inflation, severe food shortages, a forex crisis and rising violence in large parts of the country, notably Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Pakistan is also wrestling with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure its 22nd loan which is reportedly held up due to political squabbles and instability.

The Pakistani Prime Minister just might drop in at a few more countries during his travels.

The Pakistani media reports that Shehbaz “may make a technical layover in Istanbul en route to London before landing in Saudi Arabia on his journey back…”, adding that the one-way stopover schedule is yet to be finalised.

The UK trip comes on the heels of his aborted trip to Saudi Arabia thanks to the constitutional crisis between the government and the Supreme Court over election dates. Sharif was to meet brother Nawaz in Saudi Arabia in April during the festive period of Ramzan but cancelled his visit.

In London he will meet Nawaz to discuss election issues. Several other Pakistani leaders are also expected to reach the UK to hold discussions.

The Prime Minister is also likely to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war – a major geopolitical and security issue haunting Europe and London.

Pakistan has been exporting weapons to Ukraine, though Islamabad vehemently denies it. However, a recent BBC article nailed the lie after it quoted a Ukrainian soldier from the 17th Tank Battalion as saying that rockets from Pakistan are “not of a good quality”. The Ukrainian media had reported earlier that Pakistan would be providing shells.

As far back as August 2022 it was being speculated that Pakistan is serving as an air-bridge for the UK air force in supplying munitions to Ukraine via Romania or Cyprus. A cash-strapped Pakistan has been transferring weapons to Ukraine largely for financial assistance.

Sharif has made several foreign trips in quick succession, largely to seek aid for Pakistan’s collapsed economy. The fund-raising trips have led him to China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Qatar.

However, his Turkey trip brought bad publicity. Sharif had to postpone a solidarity visit for Turkey’s earthquake victims in February after Istanbul told Sharif that he might be hindering rescue and relief operations through his high-profile visit.

This is Sharif’s fourth visit to the UK since he assumed office in April 2022.

Sharif’s third visit included one in November 2022 when he crafted a last-minute plan from the climate change meet in Egypt to meet brother Nawaz in London to discuss the appointment of the new army chief.

The Pakistani Prime Minister made his second trip to London to attend the Queen’s funeral in September 2022 when he met brother Nawaz to discuss the political and economic situation of Pakistan. An immediate outcome of this visit was the appointment of Ishaq Dar as Finance Minister.

Soon after becoming the Prime Minister, Sharif had visited the UK in May to discuss party matters and governance issues with Nawaz.

Despite repeated visits to friendly Gulf countries, European nations and China, Pakistan’s leaders have not been able to salvage either the country’s reputation or its dire financial situation.

Also read: Afghan factions unite in condemnation of Shehbaz Sharif over terror comments

Will Sweden’s decision to close Pakistan embassy set a precedent for other EU countries?