Ohh bhai Apna lotta samhal ke rakhna aur bhek mang ke kaam ayeega.
Begging bowl diplomacy
There are two types of leaders in this world. Some leaders in the face of serious economic challenges strengthen their resolve and try to overcome them primarily through mobilizing the energies of their people. They are conscious of the fact that the resolution of economic problems basically requires action at home and that despite the interdependence of the modern world external assistance can play only a marginal role in prevailing upon them. This, of course, is the honourable way to handle serious economic problems. Admittedly this course of action requires the leaders and the people at large to take difficult decisions and make painful sacrifices. But the nations emerge stronger in the long run after such an experience and their prestige in the international community is enhanced.
Then there are leaders who take the seemingly easy way out and seek solutions of their national economic problems primarily in assistance from foreign governments and international financial institutions instead of focusing on the initiatives to be taken at home for redressing them. In the process, the control over the economic destiny of the nation is lost to foreign governments and institutions, the independence of the foreign policy is compromised and, above all, the dignity of the nation is lowered. After all economic dependence and independence of foreign policy cannot go together.
Pakistan currently has a leadership which is pursuing with great enthusiasm the course of begging bowl diplomacy in the face of the serious economic crises facing the country. President Zardari soon after being sworn in flew to New York to address the UN General Assembly and meet a few leaders instead of staying at home to focus on the pressing domestic issues demanding his attention. The mindset of Pakistan's current leadership and its unrealism was revealed when during his stay in New York he made the request for assistance amounting to US$100 billion for enabling the country to overcome its serious economic problems. To make such a request at a time when the Western donor countries are passing through perhaps the worst economic crisis since the days of the Great Depression defies logic.
Of course, nothing much has come out of President Zardari's toils in New York as far as Pakistan's serious economic problems are concerned. It has been clarified by now that the Friends of Pakistan, established with great fanfare during Asif Zardari's stay in New York, should not be seen as a group of donors for Pakistan to assist it in these difficult times. One wonders in the light of the disappointing results of the visit whether it was worth the cost in terms of the time and money wasted on it.
Similarly the earlier request by the government of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia for the supply of oil on deferred payment basis has received a lukewarm response from the Saudi leadership. The same is true about the request made to the Iranian Foreign Minister for a similar facility. Prime Minister Gilani's request to the Chinese leadership for financial assistance for Pakistan has met the same fate. These are not the ways of a leadership with some sense of dignity and honour. It is high time our leadership realized that our friends are getting tired of our chronic habit of messing up our economic affairs and then rushing to them with a begging bowl for assistance. It is high time they stopped demeaning themselves before foreign leaders and lowering the dignity of the nation they represent in the comity of nations.
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