Something good
Rarely does it happen that some positive and progressive strides taken by the country are highlighted and appreciated
The writer is a research analyst and freelance contributor
On many forums Pakistan is criticised for its weak governance, instability, dangerous law and order and absence of rule of law. Unfortunately, Pakistan is highlighted in a negative light, whether through our neighbouring countries and the world community or our own inside elements. Many a time Pakistan was on the verge of being declared a failed state by the international community due to its sorry state of affairs for the past two decades. Rarely does it happen that some positive and progressive strides taken by the country are highlighted and appreciated. It is the main job of our government, media, civil society, diplomats and people to highlight and appreciate the good endeavours to the world and to prove that Pakistan is not only a state which is going downwards, but it also has the capability of pushing itself and striding upwards.
There are talks of terrorism, deteriorating law and order, disharmony among civil-military leaderships, corruption scandals and other gory incidents which get unusual publicity even through our own media. Why don’t we also talk about the progression and the development being made by Pakistan through some of the sound policies adopted? Why don’t we appreciate the immense efforts and sacrifices of our armed forces in fighting terrorism? Why aren’t we proud of the fact that Pakistan’s economy is actually improving in a steady manner and that the CPEC is going to further improve our economy? This does not mean that the wrong policies and weak governance should not be criticised, they should be condemned and suggestions should be made for improvement of the democratic system. But the positivity should not be hidden in the darkness, that is unfair.
Recently, Pakistan made a proud progress in the ease of doing business for small and medium-sized enterprises according to the latest World Bank Group’s Doing Business report. It was disheartening to notice that this huge improvement made by Pakistan was not highlighted by our media. Our country has emerged as one of the global top 10 improvers this year, but our media didn’t bother to elaborate on this news which came as a breath of fresh air. Pakistan’s position in the ‘Doing Business’ global rankings improved to 144 out of 190 economies as a result of the reforms announced by the government. Pakistan had announced a three-year road map to improve its global ranking on doing business. Being consistent with that, Pakistan completed three reforms in the past year in registering property, getting credit and trading across borders. In Lahore, transferring property was made easier by improving the quality of land administration through digitising ownership and land records. Cross-border trade was eased by updating electronic customs platforms in Lahore and Karachi. It now takes less time for an exporter to comply with border regulations. Pakistan also improved access to credit information by legally guaranteeing borrowers’ rights to inspect their own data. Pakistan now ranks second in South Asia in the area of getting credit. According to our Ministry of Finance, implementation of the time-bound reforms under this strategy over the next two years is expected to significantly improve the country’s business environment and act as a catalyst for increasing both domestic and foreign investment.
This is a vital improvement as the progress in business will have healthy effects on the economy and it would attract much more foreign investment in the country as well. Pakistan is an investor-friendly country and provides a sound investment business destination for both local and foreign investors. The improvements discussed above provide important building blocks for a more efficient business environment that would encourage local businessmen a lot. We should be proud of such improvements as they act as ray of hope and encouragement that at least something is going right in our motherland and there is light at the end of the tunnel. We, as the citizens of Pakistan, have the responsibility to present a soft and progressive image of our country abroad and kill this widespread notion that Pakistan is a failing terrorism-sponsoring state, which is entirely untrue. We should highlight such progressions much more than the negative aspects.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2016.
There are talks of terrorism, deteriorating law and order, disharmony among civil-military leaderships, corruption scandals and other gory incidents which get unusual publicity even through our own media. Why don’t we also talk about the progression and the development being made by Pakistan through some of the sound policies adopted? Why don’t we appreciate the immense efforts and sacrifices of our armed forces in fighting terrorism? Why aren’t we proud of the fact that Pakistan’s economy is actually improving in a steady manner and that the CPEC is going to further improve our economy? This does not mean that the wrong policies and weak governance should not be criticised, they should be condemned and suggestions should be made for improvement of the democratic system. But the positivity should not be hidden in the darkness, that is unfair.
Recently, Pakistan made a proud progress in the ease of doing business for small and medium-sized enterprises according to the latest World Bank Group’s Doing Business report. It was disheartening to notice that this huge improvement made by Pakistan was not highlighted by our media. Our country has emerged as one of the global top 10 improvers this year, but our media didn’t bother to elaborate on this news which came as a breath of fresh air. Pakistan’s position in the ‘Doing Business’ global rankings improved to 144 out of 190 economies as a result of the reforms announced by the government. Pakistan had announced a three-year road map to improve its global ranking on doing business. Being consistent with that, Pakistan completed three reforms in the past year in registering property, getting credit and trading across borders. In Lahore, transferring property was made easier by improving the quality of land administration through digitising ownership and land records. Cross-border trade was eased by updating electronic customs platforms in Lahore and Karachi. It now takes less time for an exporter to comply with border regulations. Pakistan also improved access to credit information by legally guaranteeing borrowers’ rights to inspect their own data. Pakistan now ranks second in South Asia in the area of getting credit. According to our Ministry of Finance, implementation of the time-bound reforms under this strategy over the next two years is expected to significantly improve the country’s business environment and act as a catalyst for increasing both domestic and foreign investment.
This is a vital improvement as the progress in business will have healthy effects on the economy and it would attract much more foreign investment in the country as well. Pakistan is an investor-friendly country and provides a sound investment business destination for both local and foreign investors. The improvements discussed above provide important building blocks for a more efficient business environment that would encourage local businessmen a lot. We should be proud of such improvements as they act as ray of hope and encouragement that at least something is going right in our motherland and there is light at the end of the tunnel. We, as the citizens of Pakistan, have the responsibility to present a soft and progressive image of our country abroad and kill this widespread notion that Pakistan is a failing terrorism-sponsoring state, which is entirely untrue. We should highlight such progressions much more than the negative aspects.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2016.