China has achieved freedom from hunger and that alone shows Pakistan has a long way to go to match such achievements.
NIDERRAU, GERMANY: I enjoyed Khaled Ahmad’s piece "Can we be like Chinese?" (October 24). In my view China has been a good friend to Pakistan and has not let it down in the geopolitical arena. But I doubt if we can compare ourselves with China. According to a UN report, China had over 800 million people earning less than a dollar a day 30 years ago and now that number is 200 million. There is no nation on this earth that has engineered even remotely a social feat of this magnitude. I believe in freedom and democracy as well, but what China has achieved is freedom from hunger and that alone shows Pakistan has a long way to go to match such achievements.
One of the reasons why India is not getting close to China is its relationship, in fact friendship, with Pakistan. India cannot destabilise Pakistan, because China is in the way. And as long as China stands with Pakistan, the latter cannot fall. It will take a long time before India changes its stance towards Pakistan and accept its existence as an equal partner. Until then, China as an ally should be considered a blessing. We should, however, carry on pursuing efforts to offer friendship with India.
Sharif Lone
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2010.
