How Pakistan can become an economic force in the region?

[AhsanAmin]

We don't need to kill non-Muslims, Shias, Ahmadis in our country just to say we are helping Islam.
We are not.

This is what HariPrasad is saying. It should be a part of good early education to promote understanding of other sects/religions/ethnicities. This has to be done tactfully in our society where several uneducated parents may not like it. When there are conflicting views, educated youth should be able to make up its own mind due to a good education.

 

[FaujHistorian]

This is what HariPrasad is saying. It should be a part of good early education to promote understanding of other sects/religions. This has to be done tactfully in our society where several uneducated parents may not like it. When there are conflicting views, educated youth should be able to make up its own mind due to a good education.

As long as we are mixing Islam into our state, what you say is not possible.

peace

 

[M. Sarmad]

One of the factors contributing to "slower economic growth" is an increase in the "Informal sector" ...

A 2012 report by Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) researchers M. Ali Kemal and Ahmed Waqar Qasim using a more robust approach than previous studies, suggests that the size of the informal economy in 2008 ranged between 74 per cent to 91 per cent of the formal, reported economy.

This is substantially larger than previous estimates of between 30 per cent to 50 per cent (albeit using different methodologies). If correct, this implies that the overall size of Pakistan’s economy, both reported as well as unreported, is around $420 billion, with private consumption at current prices amounting to a whopping $365bn in 2012 ...

Informal sector could yield the national exchequer revenue of upto $15 billion if taxed at 10 per cent only -

 

[Developereo]

That reason doesnt fly.

That wasn't a reason; that was a statement of facts and a recommendation for change.

Moderation in everything.

Pakistanis have a tendency to think in absolutes. Both extremes.

If only... we had a pan-Muslim Khialafat, all our problems would be solved.
If only... we had a true Muslim leader, all our problems would be solved.

And the other side,

If only... we had free trade with India, our economy would skyrocket.
If only... we recognized Israel, we would be showered with technological marvels.

Both these camps are delusional and are only looking for excuses. A Muslim ummah or leader will not do anything unless Pakistani society changes itself from within. Similarly, Pakistan has not even begun to scratch the surface with its existing relationships -- in the West, Middle East and Far East.

Japan, China and South Korea are more than happy to "shower us with technological marvels", but we have leveraged almost nothing from these relationships.

The problems, like I wrote, are within Pakistani society and all this hand waving is just an excuse not to look inwards and address fundamental issues.

(P.S. I have spelled out those fundamental issues on numerous occasions, including that other thread, so there's no point repeating myself here.)

Yet we are no economic force/tiger in the region. Yes, we have done better than Pakistan. But in absloute terms we are barely managing by(considering population growth as well).

So..what gives?

India has one of the strongest military relationships with Israel; it has a huge diaspora in the Arab world, yet the Iranians deal with India respectfully. The same logic applies with the other players.

Contrast that with Pakistan, where anybody and everybody expects Pakistan to be a doormat and sacrifice its other relationships.

It comes down to expectations and perceptions. India has made it clear that it will deal with countries on its terms, not theirs.

As for Pakistan, well, the less said the better...

Please give your estimate in terms of street power and numbers of one extreme

The anti-West crowd is vocal and probably larger in terms of numbers, but they are powerless. All they can do is riot in the streets and burn a few cars here and there.

The other side -- I wouldn't call them pro-West, because the only thing they are pro- is their own bank balance -- holds the power and dominates the media and politics. As I wrote above, there is nothing wrong with being pro-West (or East or North or South); there is also nothing wrong with being pro-Money, as long as it yields to the primary requirement of being pro-Pakistan.

Pakistan's national interests should not be sold to the highest bidder, regardless of which part of the globe they come from. A good relationship with the West is essential for Pakistan's long term success, but one must know when to put the foot down (as India has done in recent months).

 

[RiazHaq]

The article seems to suggest that only dictatorships and totalitarian regimes give way to success. While the article pays heed to the wealth part, it completely forgoes the humanitarian cost paid to achieve that in terms of lives and families destroyed. There need to be basic steps taken:

1. De-linking external policy from internal development.
2. De-linking State from Religion.
3. Creation of a strong and empowered bureaucracy, de-linked from political control.
4. De-linking military objectives from State objectives.

The above are changes required at the strategic level. From an operational level, once the above are agreed upon:

1. Land reforms.
2. Educational reforms.

Economy should drive policy. Unfortunately, policy drives economy.

The human cost of India's "democracy" is huge. It's born by the world's largest population of poor, hungry, illiterate and sick people who call India home.

Haq's Musings: 63 Years After Independence, India Remains Home to World's Largest Population of Poor, Hungry and Illiterates

 

[AhsanAmin]

Haq, I had a look at several graphs you showed us in some threads. I do not have exact statistics, but I have a reasonable sense of different economic indicators. To me, it seemed that some graphs were really off the reality. One common thing I noticed was that Pakistan is really ahead of other South Asian Countries, in every graph which seemed misleading to me.
Democracy has nothing to do with the question of poverty in India. Indian Population is really close to China, if they have a large number of poor, they also have a very large middle class.

 

[neehar]

Do u know in China, Germany Education is free.

when pakistan grows to a position of china and germany i'm sure u can afford that.but for now its just ideal.

 

[trident2010]

Other thing which Pakistani leadership should do is to not to be emotional let it be by religion or by the nationalism when making political decision. Cool heads sans emotions is the need of the day.

 

[Jazzbot]

now now now.

I thought Hazrat Imran Khan raziall Unho is the leader. At least KP is under his thumb.

Why then such melancholy?

Whether IK is good leader or bad, its debatable. What I was talking about was completely different. Now if you put away your anti PTI glasses for a while, then you'll see what I was actually talking about in my previous post.

And what's up with Hazarat and Raziall Unho stuff? If you were being sarcastic then its worse kind of sarcasm to be frank. I hope you are aware of who's called Raziallah Unho for what reasons? Hate IK as much as you want, but don't go beyond limits, and most importantly don't drag religion into everything.

Cheers.

"People get the government they deserve." Jaisee qaum, waisay leader.

I admit that we are not upto the standards as a nation, but I believe we still deserve a lot better. A few thugs just rig their way up to top illegally. Our country's being hijacked by these thugs since past 2 - 3 decades.

 

[surya kiran]

The human cost of India's "democracy" is huge. It's born by the world's largest population of poor, hungry, illiterate and sick people who call India home.

Haq's Musings: 63 Years After Independence, India Remains Home to World's Largest Population of Poor, Hungry and Illiterates

Could you please also enlighten how many people are coming out of poverty in India? Mr. Haq, your inability to state all statistics for the case are numbing. Also, your not differentiating social and economic issues and linking both to a political solution is interesting, but unfortunately not a viable solution. The bottom line is sound economic policies backed by social empowerment works. Whether it is authoritarian or democracy or communism.

As for your concern on 'human cost' in a democracy vis a vis authoritarian regimes? Just go through the figures and you will realise the cost. The numbers you state are being worked on. Post 1990 how many people have come out of the trap. Care to enlighten this audience. It will be almost equal to the entire population of your country. So please spare me the lecture on world's largest.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

The secret is very simple infact it something that has been preached to us since child hood that who were lucky

a) Education
b) Self awareness as a collective (That national anthem in morning)

Pakistan has lost its Collective sense of consciousness that forces you to do more with less

Japan has no land yet uses it as an excuses rather it maximizes its "Potential"
Japan has no oil , but you never hear them cry about no oil they just work around it
When Japanese visit stadium , before they leave they pick up every little garbage they see
Property Taxation & Vehicle Taxation system
They work hard and their University graduates all get jobs after graduation by Corporations of country and banks they come to campuses to hire !!! They don't waste their country's talent

A Pakistani will eat that Pan , and then spit on a wall on street and tight up his nara in shalwar , and perhaps down the road you will find someone peeing behind a tree due to lack of sanitary washrooms

The lack of education has molded our Nation into a country stuck in 1800's really if you view our country men , you will find , they are no different then men that roam in 1800 same education level, same mind set and refusal to evolve or due to circumstances.

Progress in their mind is limited to just wearing jeans or building shopping malls rather then focusing on QUALITY OF LIFE


Tomorrow when sun will rise, kids 5-10 year old will wake up and not go to school instead to mechanic shop, men will light up garbage rotting in streets and houses will remain unpainted , and someone will be putting a political statement on someone else's house. The Traffic on road will not follow any rules or regulation
and Patients will be still with no bed in hopitals. There will be residential areas with no water, someone will boldly claim , cleaning the home , that is not my job its Bhangi's job I will not touch garbage

However when the meetings will be held in government house it will have multi million dollars spent on lavish food and water

There are only perhaps 4-5% that you can call world standard educated in Pakistan and not even them make it to Politically influential positions

When we look at housing in country , we see the problems our homes are "surrounded" by walls !! meanwhile you go anywhere in world no one constructs a wall around their homes , they have just a door and window to separate between what is in the home and outside. Again due to lack of security in country

Infact in many western countries people leave their outside door open

 

[RangerPK]

Because Pakistani posters say

India

Poverty, Open defecation
Poverty, Open defecation, Poverty, Open defecation
Poverty, Open defecation, Poverty, Open defecation,Poverty, Open defecation

Now on a serious level:
Because it is sometimes fun...it is an opportunity for Indians to interact with Pakistanis - the other side of the same coin. I hope you wouldn't disregard that there is some connection between Indians and Pakistanis at some unknown level, after all we were one country just 65 years ago. I guess curiosity gets better off all of us. And this forum provides an excellent platform for all of us to know the other side, and keeping the debate alive with mindless arguing keep us engaged.

We were one colony under British India.

 

[GURU DUTT]

well the thing is onli those can look forward who want to and take lessons from the past and work hard day in and day owt to resolve the mistakes and work hard with full responsibillty and dedication and that applies to pakistan as well if they want to leave there current state they have to do just that though a few point

1.get rid of feudalism
2.rewamp your judiciarry, beurocracy, law enfocement & tax collection system and make it accountable and transparent
3.invest in basic and sientifically based education
4.control your anger and expectations & come owt of this victim mantality and instead of looking at others use talent in house
5.rewamp your foriegn policy and instead of making enemies mind your own buisness and dont let anyone in name of ummah or world peace exploit you (pakistanies)
6.make peace with india on indian terms and try to do same with iran and afghanistan

onli then in at least two decades pakistan will be able to stand up and become self reliant and till the just keep a low profile ...good luck

 

[FaujHistorian]

This is what HariPrasad is saying. It should be a part of good early education to promote understanding of other sects/religions/ethnicities. This has to be done tactfully in our society where several uneducated parents may not like it. When there are conflicting views, educated youth should be able to make up its own mind due to a good education.

may be at post secondary level.

Early education should kick out Mullahs and their narrow view of the world.

Decency, and morality as to how to treat fellow human being, how to keep your street and your home clean is something we can teach and train without ever mentioning a single sect or a single religion.

It is time we go Chinese

It is time we kick out religious mumbo jumbo from our culture

Religious mumbo jumbo that is tearing our society apart.


Religion is now a deadly poison for Pakistan

But as a poison junky, as a heroin addict

We keep on asking for more poison, more religion, more heroin

no wonder we go deeper and deeper into $hit, death and destruction.

no forking wonder.

 

[ghilzai]

1) By dilinking itself from terror
2) practicing secularism
3) Improving relationship with India.
4) Self reliance.
5) Focusing on science and technology.
6) realigning itself with its cultural identity
7) By stop bagging from international community
8) Dropping China as strategic partner.

Number 1, if it was created in the name of Islam then it would be stupidity to pursue secularism.

Number 6, realigning itself with its cultural identity, well what cultural indentity should we do that with then with Pukhtoon, Baloch, Sindhi or Punjabi?.

We share not one culture other then the Islamic culture, this land was created in the name of Islam and that's what binds us, that is our culture.

Religion is not holding us back from development and progress but our own ignorance and greed, Islam has inspired to break barriers of knowledge you only have too look at the past.