Book launch: ‘Pakistan is facing serious internal challenges’

Country’s geographical location is not being utilised, say speakers.

LAHORE:

Pakistan can make great progress if its geographical location is taken advantage of, Punjab University Vice Chancellor Mujahid Kamran said on Friday.

He was speaking at a ceremony to launch the book, Geopolitik Pakistan, by Brig (r) Nadir Mir here at the Al Raazi Hall.

Prof Kamran said the country had significant reservoirs of natural resources including gold, coal and gas which were not being exploited.

He said global powers had imposed wars on Arabs and Turks to benefit Israel.

Former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan said the Pakistan Army was doing its job. He said the politicians too should do their part as the country “could not progress unless we improve our governance.”

He said Pakistan’s internal challenges were far more serious than the external ones.

“Our institutions have collapsed…we should not blame the US and India for it,” he said.

He said, “We do not measure up to the expectations of
Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal…our rulers prefer personal interest to national interest.”

He said no country was so important in terms of its geographical position as Pakistan was but “we have turned this asset into a liability.”

Former provincial minister Syed Mowahid Hussain Shah said that “our democracy is a fraud.”

He said Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, should be given permanent membership of the Security Council to represent the Muslim world.

He said a campaign must be launched to make the OIC effective and an Islamic Fund must be set up.  He said Pakistan’s representation and presentation was very poor at international level. He said that creation of new provinces was not in the interest of the country.

Brig (r) Nadir Mir said geopolitics must be taught at all institutions of higher learning in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2013.