YAISHWARYAJ: The Hidden Pakistan

From: Nasir Ahmad [mailto:docla707@hotmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2011 7:19 PM
Subject: FW: The Hidden Pakistan

Dr Nasir Ahmad M.D.,FRCS(C).,FACS.,

Flint, Michigan.

The Hidden Pakistan

By Michael Hughes

In the minds of most Westerners the word "Pakistan" conjures images of Islamic savagery - ghastly simulacrum that fill the collective conscience at such great speed they deprive any other notion of space. Of course, due cause exists for such associations - which is a shame, because there is a side of Pakistan that's sadly been concealed by jihadist extremism, state militarism and corrupt governance.

Overshadowed by the fringe is a growing moderate middle class, over 30 million strong in a country of about 180 million, which is larger than India's as a percentage of the population. Contrary to popular wisdom, most Pakistanis do not subscribe to the extremist Islamic ideologies that plague society as underlined by Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellow Aqil Shah recently in a Foreign Affairs piece:

Islamist parties continue to perform poorly at the polls, never garnering more than 10-12 percent of the vote, whereas the two main moderate parties-the PPP and the PML-N-typically claim about 60 percent of the vote and 70 percent of the seats in the national parliament.

Shah asserted that Pakistan had a "resilient" civil society that has proven to be capable of resisting both state and nonstate repression. He also said Pakistan sharply distinguishes itself from other failed states by its "numerous universities, assertive professional associations, vocal human rights groups, and free (if often irresponsible and hypernationalist) media."

Though currently experiencing some economic hardships, Pakistan has come a long way since 1947, according to Pakistani writer and Pakpotpourri Blog moderator Yasmeen Ali, who relayed the following to me:

"There were no arms factory, even the socks for soldiers were made in the UK and transported to Pakistan. We got old, pre-World War II weapons, by the way, from India in 1947. In 62 years, we are the only Muslim nuclear power in the world. The development in all areas has been phenomenal. GDP growth, spurred by gains in the industrial and service sectors, remained in the 6-8% range in 2004-06 due to economic reforms in the year 2000 by the Musharraf government. In 2005, the World Bank named Pakistan the top reformer in its region and in the top 10 reformers globally. Pakistan has been bogged by inflation and extremism."

Yasmeen believes we need to ask our own Western media why they continually fail to focus on Pakistan's positive attributes, some of which she highlighted:

"Pakistan is a country of hospitable people, culture combining old world charm and modernism, a country of flower shows, parks, cricket lovers, places to visit. Our northern area beauty rivals that of Switzerland."

Indeed, Pakistan's Swat Valley has been referred to as a mini-Switzerland, and understandably so when viewing just a few images of its mountains and landscapes, providing credibility to its motto: "A paradise on earth".

The Guardian described Taxila - another much-frequented tourist destination - as "one of the most important archaeological sites in the world", with 18 locations in the area designated world heritage sites. It's a region where Buddhists, Persians, Greeks and Hindus have left their mark, evidenced by the ruins of the Gandhāran city, which was a Buddhist and Hindu center of learning that dates back to the 6th century BCE.

The Karakorum Highway is the highest road in the world, which winds through the mountain range and connects with China at an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters.

Best-selling Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid does not buy into Pakistan's categorization as a failed state, but does admit his homeland is experiencing a period of chaos and meltdown. He too mentioned the positives that have gone unnoticed by the world:

Pakistanis perform outstandingly well in the realm of culture: in the arts, television, fashion design, pop music, and of course cricket.

It will surprise many to learn that terrorism is not Pakistan's chief export - it is textiles, which accounts for 55 percent of overall export earnings. Good news is India and Pakistan have recently made breakthroughs on the commerce front with officials estimating that bilateral trade can reach $6.5 billion a year from the current level of $2 billion.

And although Pakistan's information technology sector is currently small, with only about 150,000 professionals and one billion dollars worth of exports, IBM's Country General Manager Hamayun Bashir said that by 2020 "Pakistan can easily have a million jobs and exports of $10 billion in the IT industry", quoting a study soon to be released by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI).

Pakistan certainly has its share of societal ills; however, it also possesses ingenuity and has a civil foundation to help overcome these demons. Yet, Ahmed Rashid indicated that accomplishing this starts with a new attitude from the top:

What Pakistanis desperately need is a new narrative by their leaders-a narrative that does not blame the evergreen troika of India, the United States, and Israel for all of the country's ills, that breaks the old habit of blaming outsiders and instead looks at itself more honestly and more transparently.

Pakistan will also be challenged if its leaders continue to rely on aid from the international community to help the state remain solvent. Every bit of foreign funding comes with strings attached, as corrupt civilian and military elites go unpunished for their derelictions and are even emboldened by the inflow of cash. As Yasmeen Ali summed it up:

"It is Pakistan who must safeguard her own interests, and cannot depend on others to do so for her."