Pakistan Left
Behind in the Dust
By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff
US
A triumphant India basking
in its breakthrough nuclear deal that creates
a conduit for massive knowledge and technological
transfer from the most advanced nation in the
world has once again left Pakistan behind in the
gathering dust. The deal signed with the whirlwind
visit of President George Bush recognizes India’s
status as a nuclear power and rewards it for scientific
and technological achievements. The United States
also acknowledges the enormous potential of India
as a trading partner and an emerging top player
in the global economy that has dazzled the world.
Any talk of cooperation with Pakistan in the area
of nuclear technology was squelched even before
Bush’s perfunctory arrival in the country
with Condi Rice bluntly stating that “now
is not the time for that.” Pakistan, devoid
of any diplomatic skills or political clout or
even effective leadership, was left high and dry
to bemoan its fate at the enormous reward that
India has reaped.
The New York Times characterized George Bush’s
visit to Islamabad “as a waste of time”
except for delivering a couple of kicks in the
rear end for the country to produce Osama bin
Laden. To mollify Pakistan Washington did send
in US Energy Secretary, Samuel W. Bodman, to discuss
the nation’s energy needs without broaching
the issue of nuclear power or even the projected
oil pipeline from Iran.
For its part the Pakistani military bagged about
fifty “terrorists” in Waziristan to
show the master that Islamabad was indeed doing
its job, reward or no reward. It is faithful and
obedient as ever, like in the days of the British
Raj.
The United States is being realistic in understanding
the potential of India as an economic power and
its vigorous democratic political system, the
largest in the world. Both of these may eventually
serve as a model to the developing nations for
them to emulate. The long-range foreign policy
goal of the US is to cultivate India as an ally
and to make it a leading trading partner where
American companies can do business openly.
For the past two decades several American companies
have set up facilities in India with more on the
way as the significance of Indian economy becomes
more attractive to American businessmen. Already
125 Fortune 500 corporations have established
research and development facilities in India,
with more to come. Cisco Systems alone, a giant
high-tech firm, is investing $1.2 billion in India
over the next few years, making this company a
major player in the IT-related business that generated
$36 billion in earnings last year. For many entrepreneurs
India is now the preferred destination and increasingly
large numbers of tourists are also headed in that
direction.
In comparison Pakistan is seen as a “backwaters”
country solidly in grips of medieval characters
where throwing bombs (mostly in mosques) has become
the modern specialty. It is the land of honor
killings, civil strife and political instability.
While India forges ahead at galloping speed Pakistan
only stagnates with leaders unable to formulate
its future goals. Last year India’s exports
to the US totaled $24 billion while Pakistan’s
lagged behind with under one billion. In just
two years, at the rate the Indian economy is growing,
that export will double but for Pakistan still
less than one billion.
Education is the powerhouse that fuels the economic
growth of India, and improving its quality of
life. The country has become so obsessed with
learning that no sacrifice is considered to be
too great for an average family to see that their
children are well educated to achieve middle class
lifestyle on their own. The state of Kerala in
southern India has already achieved 100 percent
literacy. It is no accident that two of India’s
“Silicon Valleys” are located in Bangalore
and Hyderabad, both in the southern part of the
nation.
Ironically, Pakistani newspapers reported only
about a week ago that the country is to establish
six state-of-the-art engineering universities,
fully half a century after India embarked on a
similar project. Pakistan was left behind in the
dust back then and the dust-cloud has grown larger
and larger.
The disparity between India and Pakistan in all
aspects of economic, financial and industrial
achievements widens by the month. The two countries
stood at par when they separated in 1947 but one
gradually moved ahead and the other stagnated.
Today, India has shot up to 70 percent in literacy
rate while Pakistan remains stuck at the 41 per
cent level.
The financial system of India was modernized,
made transparent with strengthened legal foundation
when the current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
an Oxford PhD, was head of the nation’s
central bank. The world of finance remains a mystery
to this day in Pakistan. It is unlikely that Islamabad
will find anyone soon to match Manmohan’s
abilities.
Analysts have noted that India’s educational
system, and perhaps its culture, has produced
a vast array of entrepreneurs who are now envied
all over the world. One example is Lakshmi Mittal,
the CEO of Mittal Steel Enterprises, the fifth
richest man in the world with a vast empire of
companies extending from India to Europe to North
America. For Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, laying
the foundation stone for Tuwariqi Steel Mills
recently proudly declared that the focus of the
country’s economy will shift from agriculture
to heavy industries. India’s visionary leaders
made a similar decision fifty years ago when Pakistani
leaders were only interested in lining their pockets.
Hopefully, we have until the end of the century
to see the emergence of Mittal’s counterpart
in Pakistan. But by then India will have set several
other milestones.
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