RayKalm
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With the prophets of doom prophesying Pakistan's end and the world media crying itself hoarse about the ostensible failure of Pakistan as a State, it is easy to escape those aspects of Pakistan that make this country what it actually is, i.e. a truly great nation.
Below, I skim over a few select spheres of influence where Pakistan has truly blazed a trail.
1. Second largest gas infrastructure in the world:
Pakistan's gas distribution network is the second largest in the world after that of the United States, i.e. it is larger than those of all other industrialized countries such Germany, France, UK, Australia and others.
2. World class educational institutions:
Pakistan is now home to some to some the finest universities there can be. The Aga Khan University, Lahore University of Management Sciences, National University of Science and Technology, FAST, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and the Ghulam Ishaq Khan University are those newly established universities that have joined the ranks of older Pakistani educational institutions such as Dow, King Edward College of Medicine, National College of Arts and the IBA to become the bedrock of Pakistan's higher education infrastructure.
3. One of the most independent media in the world + stature of the journalists:
The media in Pakistan is among the most independent in the world even more so than countries like Israel, and maybe even the USA. As are the world-class journalists that comprise this institution. This has resulted in a silent revolution and national awakening throughout the length and breadth of Pakistani society similar to that which this country had witnessed prior to independence. Thus, thinkers and scholars now mould public opinion in a manner that is conducive for national building and progress.
4. An outstanding road network:
Many developed countries as well as most developing ones experience rush hour traffic jams and generally bad traffic throughout the day. In Pakistan, however, where the car to population ratio is small but growing at an astonishing pace, cities have managed to build road networks at an even faster pace. Thus, overhead bypasses, underpasses, ring roads and new motorways have successfully outpaced the uncontrolled growth of cars and motorbikes.
5. The fastest growing telecom network:
The phenomenal rate of growth of Pakistan's telecom industry is unheard of anywhere else in the world. Despite having a very small GDP per capita, Pakistan has succeeded in achieving cellular connections for fifty percent of the population, i.e. sixty million cellular connections within a span of a few years.
6. Tech power:
The level of technology in the computer connectivity and telecom sectors has, in many cases, been either equivalent to or better than even the most industrialized nations of the world. As an example, the first WiMax rolled out in the world was in Pakistan.
7. Pakistan joined the aerospace club by producing its own aircraft:
Pakistan is among the few countries in the world that produce its own aircraft. Thus, our aeronautical industry shares the likes of those in the US, France, China, Sweden.
8. Submarine production:
Pakistan has always been a shipbuilding country but has now started manufacturing submarines as well.
9. Largest ambulance service in the world:
Other than the impressive list of large NGOs and charities currently operating in the country, the Edhi Trust runs the largest ambulance network in the world and is completely free; it is run entirely on donations. Given the per capita income of the people of Pakistan, this is no small achievement.
10. State of the art teaching hospitals and research centers:
In medicine, not only have we have produced world class doctors that now practice all over the world, we also have state of the art medical facilities that offer services at a fraction of the cost that is charged for similar facilities elsewhere. To name a few, these facilities include Aga Khan, South City Hospital, SIUT, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Burns Center, Kidney Center, Services Hospital Lahore and Indus Hospital among others.
To elaborate on some of the points mentioned above, I want to point out that Shaukat Khanum Hospital is the world's only free Cancer hospital. Similary, the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) is the world's only kidney and liver transplant hospital that treats patients entirely free of cost.
These institutions did not come into being as a coincidence. Rather, hard work and visionary leadership have been the primary force behind these successful projects which is very typical of a lot of development work that is currently going on in Pakistan.
11. The Citizens Foundation:
It is a non-government funded charitable institution teaching over fifty thousand students in more than 600 schools in the poorest areas of the country. There is no parallel to this institution anywhere else in the world.
12. Land of the music legends:
Most of South Asia's master musicians in every genre are produced in Pakistan. Whether it is the world famous qawwali of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the ghazals of Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum or Mehdi Hassan, pioneers of pop music in the subcontinent such as Nazia and Zoheb Hassan or bands such as Junoon, Fuzon and Atif Aslam, it seems the only music produced in South Asia comes from Pakistan.
13. Art:
Pakistan has produced master artists such as Sadeqain, Abdur Rahman Chughtai, Ustad Allah Baksh, Shakir Ali and others whose work is not only recognized in this part of the world but is the predominant feature of many art auctions all over the world at Sothebys and Christies . Our artist are the product of a rich cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years.
14. A resilient judiciary:
Pakistan has an exemplary judicial system in place. Attacks have repeatedly been made to subdue and weaken it over the country's history, but each time this institution has stood its ground and come out stronger after every such attempt. In my opinion, no other judiciary in the world can compare to the resilience that Pakistan's judiciary has displayed time and again. Pakistan's current Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary is a recipient of the Harvard Law School Medal of Freedom that has only been awarded to two other people in the school's history, Nelson Mandela and Charles Hamilton Houston.
I am actually guilty of not continuing this message any further as it has already become lengthier than what I think will be comfortable for most people to read. Otherwise, I could go on and on.
Below, I skim over a few select spheres of influence where Pakistan has truly blazed a trail.
1. Second largest gas infrastructure in the world:
Pakistan's gas distribution network is the second largest in the world after that of the United States, i.e. it is larger than those of all other industrialized countries such Germany, France, UK, Australia and others.
2. World class educational institutions:
Pakistan is now home to some to some the finest universities there can be. The Aga Khan University, Lahore University of Management Sciences, National University of Science and Technology, FAST, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and the Ghulam Ishaq Khan University are those newly established universities that have joined the ranks of older Pakistani educational institutions such as Dow, King Edward College of Medicine, National College of Arts and the IBA to become the bedrock of Pakistan's higher education infrastructure.
3. One of the most independent media in the world + stature of the journalists:
The media in Pakistan is among the most independent in the world even more so than countries like Israel, and maybe even the USA. As are the world-class journalists that comprise this institution. This has resulted in a silent revolution and national awakening throughout the length and breadth of Pakistani society similar to that which this country had witnessed prior to independence. Thus, thinkers and scholars now mould public opinion in a manner that is conducive for national building and progress.
4. An outstanding road network:
Many developed countries as well as most developing ones experience rush hour traffic jams and generally bad traffic throughout the day. In Pakistan, however, where the car to population ratio is small but growing at an astonishing pace, cities have managed to build road networks at an even faster pace. Thus, overhead bypasses, underpasses, ring roads and new motorways have successfully outpaced the uncontrolled growth of cars and motorbikes.
5. The fastest growing telecom network:
The phenomenal rate of growth of Pakistan's telecom industry is unheard of anywhere else in the world. Despite having a very small GDP per capita, Pakistan has succeeded in achieving cellular connections for fifty percent of the population, i.e. sixty million cellular connections within a span of a few years.
6. Tech power:
The level of technology in the computer connectivity and telecom sectors has, in many cases, been either equivalent to or better than even the most industrialized nations of the world. As an example, the first WiMax rolled out in the world was in Pakistan.
7. Pakistan joined the aerospace club by producing its own aircraft:
Pakistan is among the few countries in the world that produce its own aircraft. Thus, our aeronautical industry shares the likes of those in the US, France, China, Sweden.
8. Submarine production:
Pakistan has always been a shipbuilding country but has now started manufacturing submarines as well.
9. Largest ambulance service in the world:
Other than the impressive list of large NGOs and charities currently operating in the country, the Edhi Trust runs the largest ambulance network in the world and is completely free; it is run entirely on donations. Given the per capita income of the people of Pakistan, this is no small achievement.
10. State of the art teaching hospitals and research centers:
In medicine, not only have we have produced world class doctors that now practice all over the world, we also have state of the art medical facilities that offer services at a fraction of the cost that is charged for similar facilities elsewhere. To name a few, these facilities include Aga Khan, South City Hospital, SIUT, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Burns Center, Kidney Center, Services Hospital Lahore and Indus Hospital among others.
To elaborate on some of the points mentioned above, I want to point out that Shaukat Khanum Hospital is the world's only free Cancer hospital. Similary, the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) is the world's only kidney and liver transplant hospital that treats patients entirely free of cost.
These institutions did not come into being as a coincidence. Rather, hard work and visionary leadership have been the primary force behind these successful projects which is very typical of a lot of development work that is currently going on in Pakistan.
11. The Citizens Foundation:
It is a non-government funded charitable institution teaching over fifty thousand students in more than 600 schools in the poorest areas of the country. There is no parallel to this institution anywhere else in the world.
12. Land of the music legends:
Most of South Asia's master musicians in every genre are produced in Pakistan. Whether it is the world famous qawwali of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the ghazals of Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum or Mehdi Hassan, pioneers of pop music in the subcontinent such as Nazia and Zoheb Hassan or bands such as Junoon, Fuzon and Atif Aslam, it seems the only music produced in South Asia comes from Pakistan.
13. Art:
Pakistan has produced master artists such as Sadeqain, Abdur Rahman Chughtai, Ustad Allah Baksh, Shakir Ali and others whose work is not only recognized in this part of the world but is the predominant feature of many art auctions all over the world at Sothebys and Christies . Our artist are the product of a rich cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years.
14. A resilient judiciary:
Pakistan has an exemplary judicial system in place. Attacks have repeatedly been made to subdue and weaken it over the country's history, but each time this institution has stood its ground and come out stronger after every such attempt. In my opinion, no other judiciary in the world can compare to the resilience that Pakistan's judiciary has displayed time and again. Pakistan's current Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary is a recipient of the Harvard Law School Medal of Freedom that has only been awarded to two other people in the school's history, Nelson Mandela and Charles Hamilton Houston.
I am actually guilty of not continuing this message any further as it has already become lengthier than what I think will be comfortable for most people to read. Otherwise, I could go on and on.
