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Extremism will harm Pakistan
Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON: Pakistan will be the ultimate loser both economically and politically if immediate steps are not taken to curb extremism.
This was the consensus of about 100 prominent Pakistani-Americans which included scholars, physicians, former World Bank officials, businessmen, intellectuals and members of the religious minorities in Pakistan.
This unprecedented gathering was organised by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington to see how Pakistanis living in the United States want their home country to respond to the current challenges.
The immediate cause for this town hall meeting was the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks which, according to one participant, caused much embarrassment and humiliation to the Pakistanis living in America.
Shahid Javed Burki, a former vice president of the World Bank and a former finance minister, told the audience how violence, uncertainty and lack of planning was affecting the Pakistani economy.
I have never been more concerned about Pakistans economic future as I am now, he warned.
Mr Burki said that Pakistans gross domestic product is expected to grow by only 2 to 2.5 per cent during the current financial year and not by 3.5 to 4.5 per cent predicted by the State Bank.
He predicted a drastic contraction of the economy, leading to a very sharp increase in urban unemployment and in the incidence of poverty.
Mr Burki warned that a recent $7.5 billion aid package that Pakistan signed with the IMF will help the government deal with emergency economic needs but ultimately this arrangement too will have a negative impact on the economy.
Two basic conditions of this package reducing expenditure and increasing interest rate will affect development, he warned.
Mr Burki said that the government needs to take a very serious view of the situation and then decide what to do. But, unfortunately, the government has not yet defined its priorities.
Assad R. Akhter, legislative director for a senior Democratic congressman, warned that if extremism and violence continued unabated, the US Congress may not pass a proposed $15 billion, 10-year aid package for Pakistan.
Mr Akhter said that events like the attacks in Mumbai cause many in the United States to see Pakistan as a country that cannot be trusted.
Muneer Ahmad, a professor of law at the prestigious Georgetown University, said that the new Pakistani government will have to let the world see that it was different from the previous government. But that difference is yet to be seen.
Akmal Aleemi, a senior journalist who worked for Voice of America for more than 30 years, warned that the Pakistani nation had been raised on a theories of hate and falsehood and unless its corrected the country will never overcome extremism and terrorism.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani, who held this first-ever town hall meeting at the embassy, said Pakistan wanted to be a responsible partner of the international community.
Mr Haqqani said that that an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis repel and reject violent extremism. He stressed the need to fight extremists without bowing to outside pressure and without allowing others to harm our institutions.
The elected government has made it clear that the state of Pakistan was in no way linked to the Mumbai crisis we have not bowed to any outside pressure and at the same time also demanded evidence for allegations of any Pakistani involvement, the ambassador said.
Extremism will harm Pakistan
Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON: Pakistan will be the ultimate loser both economically and politically if immediate steps are not taken to curb extremism.
This was the consensus of about 100 prominent Pakistani-Americans which included scholars, physicians, former World Bank officials, businessmen, intellectuals and members of the religious minorities in Pakistan.
This unprecedented gathering was organised by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington to see how Pakistanis living in the United States want their home country to respond to the current challenges.
The immediate cause for this town hall meeting was the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks which, according to one participant, caused much embarrassment and humiliation to the Pakistanis living in America.
Shahid Javed Burki, a former vice president of the World Bank and a former finance minister, told the audience how violence, uncertainty and lack of planning was affecting the Pakistani economy.
I have never been more concerned about Pakistans economic future as I am now, he warned.
Mr Burki said that Pakistans gross domestic product is expected to grow by only 2 to 2.5 per cent during the current financial year and not by 3.5 to 4.5 per cent predicted by the State Bank.
He predicted a drastic contraction of the economy, leading to a very sharp increase in urban unemployment and in the incidence of poverty.
Mr Burki warned that a recent $7.5 billion aid package that Pakistan signed with the IMF will help the government deal with emergency economic needs but ultimately this arrangement too will have a negative impact on the economy.
Two basic conditions of this package reducing expenditure and increasing interest rate will affect development, he warned.
Mr Burki said that the government needs to take a very serious view of the situation and then decide what to do. But, unfortunately, the government has not yet defined its priorities.
Assad R. Akhter, legislative director for a senior Democratic congressman, warned that if extremism and violence continued unabated, the US Congress may not pass a proposed $15 billion, 10-year aid package for Pakistan.
Mr Akhter said that events like the attacks in Mumbai cause many in the United States to see Pakistan as a country that cannot be trusted.
Muneer Ahmad, a professor of law at the prestigious Georgetown University, said that the new Pakistani government will have to let the world see that it was different from the previous government. But that difference is yet to be seen.
Akmal Aleemi, a senior journalist who worked for Voice of America for more than 30 years, warned that the Pakistani nation had been raised on a theories of hate and falsehood and unless its corrected the country will never overcome extremism and terrorism.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani, who held this first-ever town hall meeting at the embassy, said Pakistan wanted to be a responsible partner of the international community.
Mr Haqqani said that that an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis repel and reject violent extremism. He stressed the need to fight extremists without bowing to outside pressure and without allowing others to harm our institutions.
The elected government has made it clear that the state of Pakistan was in no way linked to the Mumbai crisis we have not bowed to any outside pressure and at the same time also demanded evidence for allegations of any Pakistani involvement, the ambassador said.
