UK FCDO chief wraps up visit on high note

Islamabad:UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Director General for Humanitarian and Development Melinda Bohannon wrapped up her first visit to Pakistan, strengthening bilateral partnerships in areas of private sector growth, climate, security, and education.

She celebrated the 10th anniversary of the UK’s £155 million investment in Karandaaz, a programme that has supported over 1.1 million jobs, with more than half of them held by women, and generated additional income of over Rs230 billion for businesses across Pakistan.

Bohannon met with finance minister Ishaq Dar and discussed the progress of Pakistan’s IMF-supported programme and the ongoing UK technical assistance to support the country’s economic reforms. She also celebrated the launch of Pakistan’s first National Sex Offender Register and opened the final ‘Climate Connects’ debate hosted by the British High Commission, where alumni of the Chevening scholarship programme gathered to discuss the outcomes of COP29, focusing on the theme of ‘Just Transition’.

There followed similar discussions in Karachi on green growth and in Lahore on urbanisation. Bohannon admired the teachers she met in Haripur for helping children catch up on their learning, and for the dedicated women delivering crucial family planning services through mobile medical outreach camps.

She highlighted the significant impact of private sector leaders collaborating with Karandaaz to mobilise capital for small and medium-sized enterprises and develop innovative solutions to Pakistan’s finance ecosystem.

Bohannon met with young women leaders who, with UK support, are advocating for better accessibility for disabled people, including disability cards, accessible public transport, and job quotas, thus empowering young leaders to make a tangible difference in their communities.