CHANTILLY, VA, US: This is with reference to Tazeen Javed’s article of December 24 titled “Making fun of North Korea”.
The writer makes some telling points, but comparing Pakistan to North Korea is a bit of a stretch and to my mind — despite myself being a critic of the government — a little insulting.
Both North and South Korea started out at the same level of per capita income several decades ago. Today, South Korea’s GDP per capita is $38,000 while the North’s is $1,800. Pakistan’s GDP per capita is $2,300 on purchasing power parity basis and, despite that it’s very many problems, the country is an open, vibrant, resilient, modernising society whose full potential will be realised if we are able to sort out a few problems — the power crisis being one of them. It is capable of growing at seven per cent per annum with low inflation, moderate (budgetary and trade) imbalances and declining debt-to-GDP ratios.
Indeed, it is Pakistan’s wasted potential that one finds so galling and upsetting. If it was a North Korea-like basketcase as the writer makes it out to be, I would not lose sleep over it. May I invite the writer to watch some documentaries on North Korea. It is quite heartbreaking to see how the people survive while ‘Dear Leader’ was sipping his $1,300/bottle imported cognac.
Meekal A Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2011.
