Challenges of the 21st Century and Pakistan

CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND PAKISTAN Dancing around the fire is not the solution to any problem. One should try to see beneath the surface in order to grasp an idea about the basic issue. Despite a stream of stung words and announcements made by the previous governments of Pakistan, there is a woeful neglect in accepting the challenges of the present millennium rather the situation has taken a quantum leap for the worse. On the other hand there are the most exciting times in the perspective of progress ever observed in the recorded history of mankind.
All countries of the world are making the progress in almost all aspects of life. These countries are working hard to face the challenges of 21st century. The world in which we are living has become the world of information and technology. The old concept of ruling the world with power has completely changed by the disintegration of soviet union in the last decade of the previous century. The progress speeds of many countries are remarkable. China got independence two years after Pakistan but it has increased its speed of development up to a great extent.
Today china is enjoying the status of world’s second fastest growing economy post Mayo, china has established an all time global record in doubling its per capita income between 1977 and 1987. According to a world Bank purchasing power parity (ppp) china has a GDP of just under $3. 0 trillions which is second largest after united states of America. If one accepts the projections of a Rand study of 1995 china will become world’s largest economy by 2010 with GDP of $11. 3 trillions. China has managed to get a complete control over the markets of many countries.

Its trade abilities have captured a great foreign exchange reserve. Now china has entered in the making of such a car which may be considered very well prepared country to face the challenging environment of new millennium. It can also be said that today no effort to regulate global trade can be succeeded if china is not part of decreased exchange risk premium in interest rates and has increased investment demands. The echo of single currency swept across the world with free trade zones. Due to this wonderful success of Euro, many countries have inspired nd they also started their ball rolling in the same direction. In Holland the Dutch people have innovated such a food for the cattle which helps the cattle to grow at a very fast rate. The cattle is very important for Holland as it enjoys a great position in the export of best quality milk, butter and meat. This earns a great amount of foreign exchange for Holland. The Dutch people have also worked successfully on a particular television which also provides all the facilities of a computer as well.
These examples show that the Dutch people are very well prepared to face the challenges of the present millennium. The world has become a global village. The distances have been reduced up to an appreciable extent. In America the people have started a new practice. The high officials do not go to the offices. They control majority of their official matters through computers. This helps them a lot in saving their precious times which they would have wasted in travelling. The countries like Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are working very hard.
This hard work has enabled them to face the challenges of current millennium in a very dignified way. These countries have made development up to this extent that it has become a far cry for Pakistan to assimilate whit their stands. Korea has also attained a significant position in the exporters of cars and other vehicles. In 1960’s Malaysian economy was very poor but through hard work they have strengthened their economy up to a great extent. The Malayan television and other electronic instruments have really captured the markets of many countries.
These countries have achieved this position of stabilization through their appropriate economic strategies, good educational policies, sprit of patriotism and excellent foreign policies. The rate of progress in order to face the challenges of new century is also very high in India as compared to Pakistan. The Indian people have really done wonders in the field of information technology. The Indian software engineers have achieved remarkable successes. They have made exceptional innovations in this field. Indian government has provided all the possible support to their people.
They have established a silicon Valley in Madras for this purpose. Through the export of software programs India is earning a great deal of foreign exchange which has played a vital role in reducing the economic distress in India. The Indian economy has become very strong. India has also been benefited from the female employment ratio in the country. The women are also working with the men in almost all the professions. The world has made progress in many fields at a massive rate. In the above mentioned facts and development made by the various countries, it can he easily analyzed that where do Pakistan stand?
How Pakistan has prepared itself to face the challenges of the newly started millennium? Some efforts were also made in Pakistan to made some progress in the last decade of the previous century but those could not become result oriented due to self-centered access and sift handed complements from the advisors of the rules. The continuous change in the leadership of the country proved very harmful for the growth in all the fields. In the beginning of 1990’s the government of Nawaz Sharif took some steps in order to improve the infra structure of the country.
He established the Motorway project in collaboration with the Daewoo company in order to improve the means of communication. He also facilitated the people of Narwhal with a new telephone exchange He also tried to introduce a self employment scheme in the form of “Yellow cab” in which the taxi cars were provided to the educated youngsters on very easy and affordable installments. The purpose was to enhance the employment ratio in the country but this scheme also met the failure because many of his party members utilized this scheme for their own benefit. In 1930 when Mrs.
Benazir Bhutto got the rule, she started a welfare program me for general masses under the name of peoples programmed which act rally proved worthless for the people as many politicians started personal aggrandizement through this programmed. They got heavy funds which were never used for the welfare of the people. They got heavy funds which were never used for the welfare of the people. Similar nothing valuable could be done in the next turn of Nawaz Sharif. The rolling substitution of governments in the last decade proved as main obstacle in the way of progress of our country.
In 1999 during the argil episode Pakistan clearly witnessed that no country was ready to support it Even our closest friend china refused to helps . This shows the failure of foreign policy. So Pakistan needs to reform its foreign policy on the following three grounds i. e. power, wealth and status. Power means the capacity of Islamabad to influence the policies of super powers towards Pakistan. Wealth means to increase the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan . For this purpose the exports should be increased by raising the standards of our products. Status means to get a prestigious position for people of Pakistan in the world.
One more important sector which needs a great attention is the infra structure. The unemployment has increased by leaps and bounds. It should be considered very seriously . The deserving and educated candidates don’t get the proper jobs. Instead of deserving candidate don’t get the proper jobs. Instead of deserving candidates there is often a square peg in the round hole which frustrates the deserving youngsters. This frustration gives rise to the crime rate in the country. So the merit system should be improved. So far all the efforts to stabilize the economy and infrastructure have proved to flog a dead horse.
Pakistan also needs to improve the health facilities. The efforts made in this regard are not more than a drop in the ocean. So conclude in this way that in spite of all those obstacles and slow growth rate of progress. One may hope that the time will be changed. According to the policies made by the Musharraf government it can be considered that now the time is not far when Pakistan will bear the palm. Now the time has come that if we want Pakistan to rise up to that extent which was dreamt by Quaid-e AZ am, then every Pakistani will have to work up to his entire ability and diligence.