Country Overview
Located in South Asia, Pakistan is the sixth-most populous country in the world and has a diverse culture with influences from the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Pakistan gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947, with the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim-majority state. The country has a federal parliamentary democratic system of government, with a president as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of government.
The country has a diverse economy, with major industries including textiles, agriculture, and food processing. The country is also rich in natural resources such as coal, oil, and gas, and has a developing IT sector. However, the economy has faced challenges such as inflation and high levels of debt.
Pakistan has been involved in several international conflicts, including a long-standing dispute with India over the territory of Kashmir. The country has also been affected by terrorism, with several attacks carried out by extremist groups in recent years.
Pakistan signed the ATT on September 25, 2013 and ratified it on September 12, 2018.
How many licenses for arms sale to Pakistan did the UK government issue between 2012 and 2021?
In total, from 2012 to 2021, the UK granted 973 limited and 127 unlimited ‘open’ arms licenses to Pakistan.
What is the total value of those exports in GBP?
Between 2012 and 2021, the UK granted Pakistan £140 million in arms licenses. Exports were consistently high, reaching in the millions, but a decrease can be observed in 2015 and after 2018, when overall exports fell, but still amounted to between £3.6 and £6.3 a year.
Source: Campaign Against Arms Trade, 2023
What are the top 10 types of arms export licenses Britain is selling to Pakistan?
| Top 10 military items exported from the UK to Pakistan between 2012-2022 | Total number of licenses |
| components for military helicopters | 134 |
| sporting guns | 130 |
| components for military helicopters aircraft | 105 |
| general naval vessel components | 94 |
| components for military aero-engines | 72 |
| components for combat aircraft | 71 |
| weapon sights | 67 |
| components for combat helicopters | 64 |
| components for combat naval vessels | 63 |
| small arms ammunition | 54 |
| Top 3 military export items from the UK to Pakistan between 2012-2022 by value | Value in GBP |
| ML10 ‒ Aircraft, helicopters, drones | £28m |
| ML18 ‒ Production equipment | £21m |
| ML5 ‒ Target acquisition, weapon control and countermeasure systems | £20m |
Source: Campaign Against Arms Trade, 2023
The UK has mainly provided Pakistan with weaponry associated with aerial warfare such as military helicopters, aircraft, and components for aero-engines.
Why should British citizens be concerned about arms sales?
1) The Pakistani government reintroduced the death penalty in 2014. This is especially concerning given the prevalence of unfair trials.
2) Illegal arms are sold on an industrial scale, and local authorities have done very little to end this booming industry.
3) Given the restrictions on online free speech, it is concerning that the United Kingdom provides surveillance equipment that could be used to sustain and support this authoritarian behavior. in Pakistan
What has the British government said about these concerns?
Pakistan has been designated by the FCO as a “human rights priority country” due to the reinstatement of the death penalty in 2014, the lack of religious freedoms, and the weak rule of law.
In 2015, the UK government lamented the continuous “concerns about the breadth and severity of human rights violations and abuses in Pakistan.” These referred to the ongoing conflict between security forces and militants in Pakistan, and Pakistan’s religious laws. Furthermore, the government acknowledged the concerns about the increasing violence against women in Pakistan including “honour” killing, rape, acid burning, domestic violence and assaults.
In 2017 the government condemned the reinstatement of the death penalty, following the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. The death penalty further raised concerns regarding fair trial issues and the execution of persons who were alleged to have been under aged at the time of the offenses. Furthermore, the FCO Ministers repeatedly expressed their concerns about violations of freedom of religion and the countries strict blasphemy laws.
What evidence is there of human rights abuses that the Pakistani government has committed since 2012?
In 2014, attacks continued with impunity, Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP) reported more than 400 civilian deaths after encounters with police, compared with 300 in 2013.
Grave human rights issues persisted in 2015. Following the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan lifted the de facto moratorium on the death penalty, first for terrorist offenses in December 2014 and then for all capital crimes in March 2015 Between January and June 2016, over 70 people were put to death.
Multiple HRW reports cited NGOs had received intimidation, harassment, and prevalence from government entities. The government justified the maltreatment of NGOs by using the ” regulation of INGOs in Pakistan policy”. This was intended to hinder the abilities of international humanitarian and human rights organizations.
In 2020, human rights defenders have estimated approximately 1,000 women a year are killed in “honor killings”. Child marriage remains a serious problem in Pakistan, with 21 percent of girls marrying before the age of 18, and 3 percent marrying before the age of 15. The following year HRW reported of authorities harassing, and detaining, journalists and activists for criticizing the government. This was done under the guise of the country’s strict counterterrorism laws in an effort to control the media and curtail dissent. The same accusations were raised against the government the following year. Further, reports showed the continuation of discrimination, violence and persecution against women, religious minorities, and transgender people with ‘authorities failing to provide adequate protection or hold perpetrators to account’ as well as not holding law enforcement agencies to account for torture and other serious abuses, to a large extend.
Country Overview
Located in South Asia, Pakistan is the sixth-most populous country in the world and has a diverse culture with influences from the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Pakistan gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947, with the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim-majority state. The country has a federal parliamentary democratic system of government, with a president as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of government.
The country has a diverse economy, with major industries including textiles, agriculture, and food processing. It iis also rich in natural resources such as coal, oil, and gas, and has a developing IT sector. However, the economy has faced challenges such as inflation and high levels of debt.
Pakistan has been involved in several international conflicts, including a long-standing dispute with India over the territory of Kashmir. The country has also been affected by terrorism, with several attacks carried out by extremist groups in recent years.
Pakistan signed the ATT on September 25, 2013 and ratified it on September 12, 2018.
How many licenses for arms sale to Pakistan did the UK government issue between 2012 and 2021?
In total, from 2012 to 2021, the UK granted 973 limited and 127 unlimited ‘open’ arms licenses to Pakistan.
What is the total value of those exports in GBP?
Between 2012 and 2021, the UK granted Pakistan £140 million in arms licenses. Exports were consistently high, reaching in the millions, but a decrease can be observed in 2015 and after 2018, when overall exports fell, but still amounted to between £3.6 and £6.3 a year.
What are the top 10 types of arms export licenses Britain is selling to Pakistan?
| Top 10 military items exported from the UK to Pakistan between 2012-2022 | Total number of licenses |
| components for military helicopters | 134 |
| sporting guns | 130 |
| components for military helicopters aircraft | 105 |
| general naval vessel components | 94 |
| components for military aero-engines | 72 |
| components for combat aircraft | 71 |
| weapon sights | 67 |
| components for combat helicopters | 64 |
| components for combat naval vessels | 63 |
| small arms ammunition | 54 |
| Top 3 military export items from the UK to Russia between 2012-2022 by value | Value in GBP |
| ML10 ‒ Aircraft, helicopters, drones | £28m |
| ML18 ‒ Production equipment | £21m |
| ML5 ‒ Target acquisition, weapon control and countermeasure systems | £20m |
Source: Campaign Against Arms Trade, 2023
Why should British citizens be concerned about arms sales?
1) The Pakistani government reintroduced the death penalty in 2014. This is especially concerning given the prevalence of unfair trials.
2) Illegal arms are sold on an industrial scale, and local authorities have done very little to end this booming industry.
3) Given the restrictions on online free speech, it is concerning that the United Kingdom provides surveillance equipment that could be used to sustain and support this authoritarian behavior. in Pakistan
What has the British government said about these concerns?
Pakistan has been designated by the FCO as a “human rights priority country” due to the reinstatement of the death penalty in 2014, the lack of religious freedoms, and the weak rule of law.
In 2015, the UK government lamented the continuous “concerns about the breadth and severity of human rights violations and abuses in Pakistan.” These referred to the ongoing conflict between security forces and militants in Pakistan, and Pakistan’s religious laws. Furthermore, the government acknowledged the concerns about the increasing violence against women in Pakistan including “honour” killing, rape, acid burning, domestic violence and assaults.
In 2017 the government condemned the reinstatement of the death penalty, following the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. The death penalty further raised concerns regarding fair trial issues and the execution of persons who were alleged to have been under aged at the time of the offenses. Furthermore, the FCO Ministers repeatedly expressed their concerns about violations of freedom of religion and the countries strict blasphemy laws.
What evidence is there of human rights abuses that the Pakistani government has committed since 2012?
In 2014, attacks continued with impunity, Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP) reported more than 400 civilian deaths after encounters with police, compared with 300 in 2013.
Grave human rights issues persisted in 2015. Following the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan lifted the de facto moratorium on the death penalty, first for terrorist offenses in December 2014 and then for all capital crimes in March 2015 Between January and June 2016, over 70 people were put to death.
Multiple HRW reports cited NGOs had received intimidation, harassment, and prevalence from government entities. The government justified the maltreatment of NGOs by using the ” regulation of INGOs in Pakistan policy”. This was intended to hinder the abilities of international humanitarian and human rights organizations.
In 2020, human rights defenders have estimated approximately 1,000 women a year are killed in “honor killings”. Child marriage remains a serious problem in Pakistan, with 21 percent of girls marrying before the age of 18, and 3 percent marrying before the age of 15.
The following year HRW reported of authorities harassing, and detaining, journalists and activists for criticizing the government. This was done under the guise of the country’s strict counterterrorism laws in an effort to control the media and curtail dissent. The same accusations were raised against the government the year after. Further, reports showed the continuation of discrimination, violence and persecution against women, religious minorities, and transgender people with ‘authorities failing to provide adequate protection or hold perpetrators to account’ as well as not holding law enforcement agencies to account for torture and other serious abuses, to a large extend.
Despite this catalog of harm, the UK still deems it acceptable to sell weapons and arms to the Government of Pakistan.
Human rights abuses continue.
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