Look at Pakistan’s current state and look at what it is aspiring to be — and look at the obstacles in between.
SEATTLE, USA: This is with reference to the article “On the Turkish model (June 7).” The writer says: “Maybe decades down the road, transitional states — Muslim and non-Muslim — can take inspiration from the Pakistan model: a bankrupt, corruption and extremism-ridden country that took a hard look in the mirror and finally set itself right”.
Are we not being a bit too optimistic? Look at Pakistan’s current state and look at what it is aspiring to be — and look at the obstacles in between. Pakistan and India may have been at the same level in 1947, but in 64 years, Pakistan’s human development indicators have declined and are closer to Somalia’s now.
Pakistan still has a long way to go. One of the obvious reasons for its decline has been the way religion has been used by certain entities in the country and that is something a large section of Pakistanis won’t compromise over.
Hukum Singh
Published In The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2012.
