It's very complicated. The problem is hardware (roads, ports, power) but also software (human skill base, outlook, practices, business culture, social outlook) and I am not fan of Nawaz Sharif but the issue is bigger than any single party or government. Out of both problems the software problem is harder to sort out. But it can be done with time. Needs a dedicated thread to deal with this subject.
Countries take pride in creating innovative solutions that will find high demand in the global marketplace. In large part, the Pakistani population has been conditioned into a state of mental submission. This is an actual experience of an investor who wanted to import a new type of cement from Germany and setup a plant here. The new cement requires radical new methods of application. So he went out into the market and at random picked someone to do a job for him using the new cement. This guy was a Pathan. He says, even after giving any number of explanations that this new cement requires very minimal application, the guy single-mindedly refused to listen and kept applying his same old technique.
That same investor asked an ironworks shop to create a metal grille for him. The end result had welding marks all over it. When he gently mentioned this to the worker, he was faced with anger in return. The guy says people don't take pride in what they create, and see no value in achieving the very best.
This pathetic approach of lack of quality is a major contributor to our exports not finding markets.
Finally, one more aspect. Back in the late 1990s my mother went to UAE. She was told by people working there that high quality Pakistani exported foods are relabelled as Indian, whereas low quality Indian stuff is labelled Pakistani.
My own experience here in Sydney. I went out to find the best Basmati rice available. I was informed about the Indian 'Dhuna Dheri' by Indiagate. So I tried it, and it is truly exceptional. It lives up to the expectations I got by reading the packaging. Then one day I ran into an Indian Muslim shopkeeper who said 'Have you tried Pakistani rice? It is so wonderful'. The funny thing is, he didn't keep this 'wonderful' rice in his shop. I asked him to get some for me. I kid you not, it took months of reminding him. One day when I reminded him, he told me to stay in the shop and went off to get some. He was away for maybe half an hour, returning with a package that proclaimed 'A1 quality, polished Basmati rice'. But when I tried it at home, it was nothing to write about at all. That's when I realized that Indian guy was being extremely sarcastic.
With this type of image, how can we expect people to desire the products we sell?
To summarize, there are two aspects: our own abysmal lack of quality, and vengeful animosity of enemies who lose no opportunity to degrade us throughout the world.
