Like they say, money is something which can come or go.
Back in 2000s Pakistan had it's coffers full. Now it does't
While for majority of the history after Partition, Pakistan's economy averaged growth better than that of India, and thus was able to buy weapons from where ever it liked. What i am trying to say is, economy will improve.
India is the 2nd most populated region. Pakistan is 6th most population nation. So we sure too can make use of our population numbers.
Remember how India was faltering and running to IMF in 1990......but then initiated reforms.
So this funds issue is temporary.
See, India also had this issue with
Fundas, Fundas, Fundas; i.e. with
Fundamentals, but they were mainly Economic Fundamentals. The Governance Fundamentals had largely been worked on in slow (but progressive) measures since 1947. The 1990s saw India attending to the Economic Fundamentals. If one wishes to see
sustained Economic Growth, then one has to attend to all aspects. Also keep in my mind that a great deal of Money that has reached Pakistan since 1947 has been American Money, which did not come on the basis of Trade or Commercial reasons. That was the biggest component of the perceived buoyancy in the National Economy. This ironically was probably at its greatest during the Reigns of Ayub and Musharraff. But did that translate automatically into Pakistan being a great
Investment Destination?
Another thing, Large Populations or the so-called Demographic Dividend are not an unmixed good or some "silver bullet". It can mean
"either more hands to work" or
"more mouths to feed" depending on how the other developmental issues are handled. India does not (and cannot) really attract Investment only because of a large Population. It can (and will) only achieve that if its perceived as a
continuing Stable Political System with a functional System of Governance.
No Investor will ever overlook that, which external Govt. sourced financial handouts may; as America did in the case of Pakistan in the past.
Among the other
Fundas; even issues of
Equitable Governance or even
Stable Foreign Policy or even
International Image (or branding) need to be addressed. All of that need to fall in place too, for Pakistan to become an
Investment Destination. Religion-driven discourse or debates or obscurantism cannot be helpful in any way, that regard.
Today's Pakistan needs to deal with the
Fundas, Fundas, Fundas more than at any time in the past.
