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Pakistan

Volume 506: debated on Tuesday 2 March 2010

19. To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the importance of the stability of Pakistan for the Government’s policy on the region. (319401)

A stable, secure Pakistan enjoying good relations with her neighbours is important for UK objectives in South Asia and Afghanistan, particularly given the ongoing threat to UK forces in Afghanistan emanating from Pakistan’s border areas. The UK and Pakistan, together with other international partners, are working closely together to support the extension of Government control over the border areas. £50 million of the Department for International Development (DFID)’s £665 million programme for Pakistan is going to support this stabilisation effort. The UK also strongly supports renewed dialogue between Pakistan and its neighbours, notably India, as an important component of wider regional stability.