Pakistan Sri Lanka Friendship A glorious history of mutual cooperation and support I
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
http//: www.thenewslark.com
The story of Pakistan and Sri Lanka's friendship is a glorious history of mutual understanding, cooperation, and support. Whenever both countries' youth read this history, they would be proud of this friendship and would be happier to know that the future of these two friendly countries is very bright. People of Sri Lanka will never forget Pakistan’s unwavering support to Sri Lanka against its historical struggle and fight against terrorism. With the help of Pakistan’s support, Sri Lanka was successful to overcome and defeated the terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Pakistan supported Sri Lankan forces with military equipment and training. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) .
Pakistan and Sri Lanka developed their diplomatic relations in 1948, and since then, they have never looked back, and their relations have cemented with strength over time. Those were historical and joyous moments for the people of Pakistan when, in 1948, Prime Minister DS Senanayake visited Pakistan.
Pakistanis were very much happy similar like Sri Lankan when Sri Lanka defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, on those were the historic moments when the Deputy Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka called Pakistan, “ A True Friend” ans said,” The government and the people of Sri Lanka have considered Pakistan as a true friend of Sri Lanka, which has always stood by it in times of need”.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and Pakistan extended a credit line of US$ 200 million for Sri Lanka. These MoUs were signed during the official visit of President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa to Pakistan in 2012. In the same year, SriLankan Airlines invited Pakistan Airlines (PIA) to operate more flights to Sri Lanka.
January 16, 2018, was another historical occasion when Pakistan Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, visited Sri Lanka on a two-day visit on the invitation of the Sri Lankan Chief of Army Staff. Again in February 2021, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan offered a US$50 million credit line to Sri Lanka for its defense purchases.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have a long history of Defense cooperation, and Pakistan has provided training to the Sri Lankan military, including Sri Lankan former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and also conducted joint military exercises. Pakistan offered training to Sri Lanka for intelligence gathering. Apart from traditional military assistance to Sri Lanka, Pakistan has also offered to train Sri Lankan Police and State Intelligence Services (SIS) officers
In January 2018, amid a shortage of fertilizer in Sri Lanka, President of Sri Lanka His Excellency Maithripala Sisisena requested assistance from Pakistan. Though the Pakistani government had banned fertilizer exports, Pakistan agreed to send 41,000 metric tons of fertilizer immediately. Following concerns raised about the scarcity of fertilizer in Sri Lanka, the President of Sri Lanka had contacted Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, requesting assistance to find a long-lasting solution to the crisis. Pakistan informed him that it would take steps to export more than 75,000 metric tons of fertilizer to Colombo in the future. Later, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena expressed his gratitude towards the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the Government of Pakistan for the timely provision of fertilizer to Sri Lanka to curb the shortage.
Pakistan also helped Sri Lanka to establish a modern dairy farm in Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. This area is strategically significant as the home district of former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.
In June 2011, Pakistan presented the Government of Sri Lanka with a number of Buddhist relics from Pakistan's past. A former Pakistan High Commissioner, Seema Ilahi Baloch, also sponsored the construction of a school in Gampala District.
Pakistan has offered scholarships to Sri Lankan students to pursue the subjects of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and engineering. The scholarships are granted under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme ( PTAP).
Since Pakistan hosts ancient relics and architecture central to Buddhist heritage in the Punjab city of Taxila, Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka has held regular exhibitions of the “ Gandhara Art of Pakistan,” borrowing the sacred Buddhist relics on the anniversaries of Lord Buddha.
During Sri Lanka’s 25 years of war against terrorism, the Pakistani Cricket Board supported Sri Lankan Cricket by sending its cricket team to the island. Thanks to the Sri Lankan Cricket Board and the government, despite the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board continued to send its team to Pakistan post 2017.
Although Pakistan is not involved in the Indo-Pacific Strategy or other initiatives to promote strategic ties with smaller South Asian states, the shared diplomatic stance of Pakistan and Sri Lanka on numerous regional security issues of South Asia led both to advance bilateral defense relations.
Pakistan and Sri Lankan defense relations were established during the 1971 crisis in East Pakistan, when India blocked West Pakistan’s overflight through the Indian airspace, and Sri Lanka stepped in and granted the Pakistani civilian and military airplanes stopover and landing rights. Additionally, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism cooperation have also strengthened Pakistan-Sri Lanka bilateral defense ties as both countries have had experience in leading counter-terrorism operations on their respective soil. Pakistan, among other countries, supplied the Sri Lankan government with military hardware and military training support to defeat the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist outfit focused on creating a separate state for Sri Lanka’s Tamil population. Four decades later, when Pakistan itself was engulfed in terrorist strikes nationwide, it reportedly sought Sri Lankan support for training its military on counter-insurgency operations.
The Pakistan-Sri Lanka fight against terrorism and militancy paved the way for intensifying bilateral defense cooperation. In 2016, Pakistan signed a defense agreement with Sri Lanka to provide Colombo with eight JF-17 aircraft. Pakistani and Sri Lankan armies and naval forces have also regularly interacted through port calls, military and naval training and exercises, and defense workshops and seminars.
Another important aspect of Pakistan-Sri Lanka ties is their bilateral trading relations. Pakistan has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, and only with Sri Lanka does it have a trade surplus.
Although the financial value of bilateral trade appears to be minimal, the diplomatic significance of the FTA and the JWGs indicates a continued desire and potential for strengthening economic relations. Pakistani officials sincerely have advised Sri Lanka to participate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to improve regional economic connectivity with Central Asia through transit routes in Pakistan.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have historically enjoyed a conflict-free and relatively stable relationship. While their cultural affiliations and diplomatic cooperation in multilateral forums had initially undergirded their bilateral ties, their economic and defense partnerships have further bolstered their relations since the turn of the 21st century. Moving forward, Pakistan and Sri Lanka can engage on an even broader and deeper level to enhance their strategic partnership and grow their combined political power in South Asia. The genesis of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations can be found in the cultural connections of Islam and Buddhism. Islam came to the subcontinent in the early 8th century, following the conquest of Sindh by Muhammad bin Qasimled, the commander of the Muslim empire, who led an armed campaign to rescue the widows of the Arab settlers in Ceylon (former name of Sri Lanka). Fast forward to the mid-20th century; it is reported that the Muslims of Sri Lanka supported the cause of the All India Muslim League for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent. After Pakistan’s independence, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) constituted a Buddhist minority. On the other hand, Sri Lanka had 7 percent Muslim Population by the 1950s and currently has 9 percent Muslims. Archaeological surveys have traced various sights and symbols of Buddhist civilization and religion, primarily concentrated in Taxila, in the northern Punjab. ( Continued ) |