France–Pakistan relations

Since 1967, France had been an important partner, particularly for PAF and the Navy.[3] In 1967, France sold first batch of its Mirage fighters as well as sold the submarine technology to Pakistan. The PAF bought second-hand batch of Mirage fighters in 1990; followed by a contract signing in 1996 for the acquisition of 40 reconnaissance aircraft.[3] The PAF is the largest customer of France's aerospace industry with numbers of fighter and civilian aircraft having been sold to Pakistan since 1967 till the 2000s.[3] The Navy has also an established defence connection with France, the best known purchasing of Daphné class submarine and the submarine technology transfer of the Agost class which was signed in 1994.[3]

In 2009, France agreed to provide financial capital to expand the use of nuclear power in Pakistan. While, the officials at Islamabad termed it as "significant move", the Foreign service office maintained that: "France has agreed to transfer civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan."[4] The French Foreign ministry had confirmed that the country was ready, within the framework of its international agreements, to "co-operate with Pakistan" in the field of nuclear safety.[4] "This is so the Pakistan's programme can develop in the best conditions of safety and security", the French foreign officials added to APP.[4] After the agreement, France maintained that "this is the beginning of a civil nuclear partnership and the cooperation will be limited to nuclear safety."[5]

In May 2011, France stopped selling heavy military equipment to Pakistan in order to ease Indian concerns. During a visit to India, the French defence minister Gérard Longuet said France did not want to be seen "feeding Pakistan’s military ambitions".[6]

The first trade agreement was signed in 1966, and Pakistan is currently ranked as 65th import partner of France.[7] The bilateral trade was reached to US$313 million in 2009.[7]

In 2020, thousands of protesters opposing France's defense of freedom of speech held rallies in cities across Pakistan, against the re-publishing of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammed, including publishing controversial images. They called on the Pakistani government to cut diplomatic and trade ties with France, which was quickly reported on by TRT World. The protesters burnt the French flag and said they were willing to avenge what they considered to be blasphemy against Muhammed[8] in a peaceful way.

In April 2021, the French government advised French nationals and French companies to temporarily leave Pakistan amid violent anti-French protests by the TLP party and meanwhile the Government of Pakistan clearly told the TLP party that Pakistan will not tell the French ambassador to leave the country and the Government will protect the French friendship at any cost. Thus then, Pakistan banned the radical far-right TLP party.[9][10]