Jordan’s King Abdullah II has arrived in Pakistan today, 15 November, for a two-day official visit. At PAF Noor Khan Airbase, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari received the distinguished guest.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the King of Jordan is undertaking this visit on the invitation of the Prime Minister, which reflects the decades-long bilateral brotherly relations. This will further strengthen the strategic direction of both countries and the King will be awarded Pakistan’s highest civil honour at the Presidency. King Abdullah II was also presented with a guard of honour on the occasion of his visit to the Prime Minister’s Office.
On the global level, when heads of state of two countries meet, it is natural for regional and global geopolitical issues to come under discussion, and considering the ongoing situation in the region, the situation in Gaza is particularly significant. The resolution expected to be approved in the Security Council on 17 November also carries its own importance and relevance. During the year 2023, the trade volume between Jordan and Pakistan was 46.58 million dollars, and around 16,000 Pakistanis are residing in Jordan. Historically, Jordan was the fifth country to recognize Pakistan, and formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1948.
Just like people-to-people ties experience ups and downs, relations between countries at the global level also witness fluctuations and evolutionary processes. At present, the tilt of the international community is shifting from the global north to the global south, which includes trade, diplomatic, and defence relations of all types. When a conflict emerges in such a shifting geopolitical environment—as has been the case with the Gaza conflict ongoing for the past two years—the world is compelled to pay attention.
According to a report by The Independent, relations between Pakistan and Jordan have historically remained strong, and both countries—along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates—have participated in consultations related to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
If we highlight the growing importance of Pakistan’s foreign policy, Pakistan is a founding member of the OIC and has maintained exemplary relations with Gulf countries, which also include trade and defence cooperation.
Transforming Pak-Jordan religious and cultural relations into trade relations is the need of the hour because the current trade volume of 46.58 million dollars between the two states is extremely insufficient and must be increased. The King of Jordan’s visit will promote bilateral relations, and just as many agreements were signed between the two countries in the past—covering counterterrorism, military training, and cultural cooperation—it is expected that further trade agreements will be signed during King Abdullah’s meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the President.
Ordinary Jordanian citizens also hold positive views about Pakistan and demonstrate brotherhood. Jordan has an impressive literacy rate of 95.5 percent, the highest in the region. Pakistan recently signed a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, and after Operation Bunyān al-Marsūṣ, many countries are now looking towards Pakistan with hope for future defence agreements. Historically, Pakistan has already assisted Jordan militarily during the 1970s. Therefore, the signing of a new defence agreement between the two countries would not be surprising.
In the past, the King of Jordan last visited Pakistan on the invitation of former President Mamnoon Hussain. On that occasion, two memorandums of understanding were signed—one related to cooperation in civil protection and defence, and the other regarding collaboration in the housing sector.
In the recent past, Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that at the end of October, during a meeting between Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and King Abdullah II, the King appreciated the role of Pakistan’s military leadership in regional peace and security. According to ISPR, the Army Chief was on an official visit to Jordan and met the King, with Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II also present.
The time has come for Pakistan and Jordan to strengthen their bilateral relations by ensuring agreements in the defence and trade sectors and expanding cooperation in other areas as well, contributing to improved trade, cultural, and security conditions in the region.
With the imminent deployment of Pakistani forces in Gaza and following the approval of the Security Council resolution, Pakistan will have greater convenience in expanding its diplomatic and trade engagement in the region. First, an estimated cost of approximately 73 billion dollars has been set for Gaza’s reconstruction, and Pakistan can play its full role in this project. Alongside this, in view of the destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon, Pakistan—capitalizing on its presence in Gaza and strong relations with Jordan—can further expand its trade, cultural, and defence relations with other regional nations. This window of opportunity will not remain open for long; therefore, the government of Pakistan should immediately start new projects with inter-institutional cooperation and a comprehensive strategy and fully benefit from this window of opportunity.
