Honourable Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan,
Mr. Hitesh Hathi, Executive Director of the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute,
Professor Dr. Yaqoob Bangash
Fellow at the South Asia Institute, Harvard University
Ladies and Gentlemen
This conference onPakistan at 75 is a result of hard work by the South Asia Institute and many participants who are speaking in its sessions. Mr. Hathi, I am grateful to you for inviting me to this conference.
Pakistan was a dream that came true in 1947. It was born in the face of fierce opposition to its very creation and skepticism about its survival. And yet here we are, 75 years down the road, at Harvard to discuss how this country has done so far and how it can prepare itself for the future.
The ideology of Pakistan cannot be understood by simplistic renditions. Let’s try to track its evolution from Sir Sayyid’s campaign for education and enlightenment to Allam Iqbal’s concept of a separate homeland to the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s steely resolve to secure an independent state for Muslims of the Indian sub-continent.
The key thread in this movement was Muslims’ stark realization that they had lagged behind in education, sciences, professions, businesses and civil and military service; and that in a majoritarian India they would not be able to get adequate economic space or proportionate political representation. That they would be marginalized. And that was the basis of Muslim nationhood.
A doctrine of governance was espoused to include the tenets of Islam for establishing a democratic, pluralist and tolerant polity that would promote social justice and the rights of all its citizens irrespective of class or creed.
Pakistan’s creation was traumatic: mass migration, scant military assets for defense, weak economic structure, a war in Jammu and Kashmir, and a big neighbour reeling from the throes of partition. Pakistan struck external alliances to survive in this initial phase and turned to its ingenuity to carve a destiny for itself.
We have covered some distance. Our journey for survival against heaviest of odds has not been bad; not bad at all. We stand on our feet, confident, ready to venture into the future.
Pakistan’s resilience should not be taken lightly. No other nation in the world could have outlived the tumultuous history full of turmoil and turbulence that we have gone through.
That was possible because of the will of its people and the institutions that we have built, which may not be perfect but are the pillars that have sustained the state of Pakistan. We have survived three wars, secession, sanctions and terrorism.
Our calling is democracy. Even when we veered off from this path, we came back to our people-centered moorings. Trust us, we will work out our political dynamics to ensure stability and continuity. Our national dialectics are synergizing our political median, our societal correlative, our futuristic algorithm.
The core principles of our foreign policy are peace, regional equilibrium, strategic balance, shared prosperity, connectivity and win-win partnerships.
We attach highest importance to our longstanding relations with the United States, a state that helped us in the formative phase of our statehood enabling us to build our military and economic infrastructure. It has always been a preferred source for technical knowhow and military equipment and a favored destination for our exports, which jumped from $7 to $ 9 billion last year. Nearly one million Pakistani Americans are a strong bridge between our two nations.
After recalibrating our relations beyond Afghanistan and the wars we have fought together, we would continue to counter terrorism and foster regional stability. But, more importantly, we are reshaping our partnerships in trade, investment, green energy, infrastructure, health and education. The emphasis is on people to people exchanges.
The launch of the Green Alliance, a successor to the Green Revolution of the 1960s, for instance, will advance our close cooperation in hybrid seeds, biotechnology and synthetic engineering. This year, the number of Pakistani students enrolled in the US has increased by 17% to 8,000. Still modest. It would grow further in the STEM disciplines and new technologies. The US is encouraging its businesses to enhance their exposure in Pakistan.
A new arc of mutual interests is framing our ties.
The outlook is bright, as the US has de-hyphenated its relationship with Pakistan from Afghanistan, India and even China. It is now a stand-alone relationship.
Pakistan’s relations with China would continue to grow but not at the expense of the United States. We know that the US and China are the most co-dependent nations.
That’s why, whenever tensions rise beyond a certain point they resort to diplomacy, as was amply manifested by the recent meeting between President Biden and President Xi in Bali. The United States has not asked us to make a binary choice between Washington and Beijing.
We also see that trade and investment between China and India are increasing. That should diminish the peril of a war between the two. They too have interdependence. So have Japan and South Korea with China. There should be space for Pakistan in this complex geopolitical environment.
We want peaceful relations with India. This would be the natural desire of the people of Pakistan and India. We realize that a cohesive, economically integrated South Asia will benefit its people and the entire globe.
But let’s not try to sweep the issues that divide us under the carpet. This has not worked in the past; it will not work in future.
Through diplomacy, let’s put the whole range of issues – Kashmir, waters, strategic stability – on the table and strive to resolve them. Diplomacy has its own pace and periodicity. Let’s give it a chance. It builds trust. After all a ceasefire at the Line of Control has been effective as a result of an informal understanding. Let me say it out loud that Pakistan does not support terrorism in any form. So, this fable must be put to rest.
Nuclear programme has given strategic heft and protection to Pakistan, a firewall of deterrence that safeguards it against aggression.
Peace would remain elusive if there is no dialogue for confidence building, effective communication and responsible stewardship.
Pakistan has a persona beyond South Asia – its extended neighbourhood – East Asia, including North and South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, the Middle East and Africa. We have had good relations with the Islamic countries; and we have access to Europe, the UK and North America. We have the ability to scale up our relations with these regions.
When Pakistan would complete its 100 years in 2047, the World Bank in its report Pakistan@100 foresees it as innovation-driven country of multiple trade and investment hubs and centers of excellence. So do we, the people in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s has the 23nd largest economy on the basis of PPP and 42nd in terms of nominal GDP. This is a transient phase. Our economy is poised to grow fast, current difficulties notwithstanding. Its full size is masked by the vast undocumented and untaxed economy. We are streamlining our systems to address these anomalies.
Pakistan’s demographic cohorts are tailor-made for an emerging economy. It is the fifth largest nation with a population of 220 million, of whom 80 to 100 million are in the middle class and 64 percent or 130 million below the age of 30. It is a young country, with abundant labour and growing professional class. There are 184 million cellular phone users and 110 broadband subscribers. Hundreds of thousands of students, including tech professionals, are graduating from our universities ready to be absorbed by national and global markets.
Pakistan for decades was the fastest performing economy in South Asia and one of the fastest in Asia. In the past two decades, poverty has declined from 64% t0 24 percent. The World Bank says that Pakistan was “recognized by international community as an example of rapid economic progress”. Its growth slowed down because of wars in the neighbourhood and security challenges posed by terrorism. Now the security situation is improving and there are no wars. We will resolutely build our markets. Economy is our lodestar. Economy will bounce back.
As we speak, new and ground-breaking business ecosystems are being unlocked in Pakistan. The US, Canada, Europe, the Gulf States, Turkey, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia – all are investing in Pakistan recognizing the promise of our market and supply chains. Some eighty American enterprises have done business in Pakistan for decades earning good profits. They would now reorient their product lines for exports. This would be transformative. The tech sector, though nascent at this stage, is witnessing exponential growth with the potential to become an alternative startup hub in the neighbourhood.
It is being supported by top foreign Venture Capital/Private Equity firms, 60% of them from the US. Tech startups in Pakistan are bullish, not frothy.
Am I am saying there are no problems? No. We have many problems and that’s why we are liberalizing our regulatory regimes to make them tools for promoting, not hampering, businesses. Right now, while we have tried to streamline repatriation of profits, convertible debts, cross-border digital transfers, we are addressing the issues of data protection, tax policy, dispute resolution and intellectual property rights.
Cumulatively and consecutively, we are undertaking reforms for ec0nomic restructuring, equitable growth, human development, internal and external security, the rule of law, access to justice, education, and building resilience against climate change. It is our endeavour to make Pakistan a diverse and inclusive society.
Emerging from the devastation of epic floods Pakistan has become a global advocate for our collective responsibility to save the planet from annihilation.
It was under Pakistan’s leadership that COP27 agreed to the principle of ‘loss and damage’, a milestone in climate diplomacy. In Pakistan, we have our work cut out to build a weather-resistant, climate-resilient infrastructure.
We are grateful to the United States for providing US $ 97 million in humanitarian assistance to Pakistan. Ordinary American citizens have donated $ 27 million for flood relief. What’s more, the US has committed to provide long-term support to Pakistan for recovery and rehabilitation. Thank you, United States!
In multilateral diplomacy, we are proud to have made the world safer by participating in peacekeeping operations in all major continents. Pakistani peacekeepers are rated amongst the best by the United Nations. And, together with allies, we fought wars backed by international law; and drafted peace treaties to end wars. We prefer peace tables to war theatres. Since 1947, the body of international law will have an indelible mark of Pakistan’s contribution within and outside the United Nations.
Today we look back at our past 75 years and prepare for the next 75 years. Pakistan is neither a utopia nor a dystopia, like many other countries, but those who visit it come back mesmerized and say that is it is a fabulous place and its people are friendly and hospitable. Like a phoenix, Pakistan would continue to rise and emerge stronger. By 2047, it is our aspiration that our motherland will be amongst the top ten economies and a beacon for post-modern renaissance, with our head held high in the comity of nations. We will move towards that destination with humility and determination.
Thank you so much.
Boston; November 29, 2022
