‘Continuity of policies should be ensured’. PHOTO: FILE
Speakers at the seminar said Pakistan was rich in natural and human resources. It had prime geographical location and an excellent climate. But discontinuity of policies and a lack of visionary leadership had resulted in Pakistan being far behind the UAE.
Some of the speakers said the UAE had the same ethnicity, culture, language and heritage whereas Pakistan had multiple ethnic, economic and language groups. “This is why they have the same spirit, desires and aspirations. They are united on the subject of national interest and economic development even though they only one natural resource – oil.”
Former IMF adviser Khalid Muhammad Saleem, former Punjab auditor general Jameel Bhatti, former IRSA chairman Engr Shafqat Masood, Engr Abdul Majeed Khan, Dr Muhammad Sadiq, Zubair Sheikh, Jameel Gishkori, Engr Mahmudur Rehman Chughtai, Engr Muhammad Azeem, Mian Naeem, Engr Mushtaq Ahmed Bhatti, Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh, Prof Dr Atiya Syed and former minister Qayyum Nizami spoke at the event.
The speakers said that Pakistan had the fifth largest army of the world, the deepest seaport at Gwadar and access to Central Asian Republics and among the largest coal reserves in the world. They expressed the need to assure continuity of policies through an uninterrupted political system led by visionary leaders who are committed to national development.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2014.
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Sounds great .. but shallow thinking. Your large military has almost bankrupted Pakistan without providing security which is it's primary goal .. almost half of Pakistan is under the control of militants. Deep harbor/seaport means little if there is no demand for goods .. and discussions of transit corridors are unachievable because your military can't provide security required by China. Lastly .. large coal reserves mean little if the coal is of poor quality or too expensive to mine .. the vast majority of Thar Coal is of poor quality and underwater making it unfeasible to mine with today's technology. You can't fix things if you avoid looking objectively at the problem.