This refers to an article by Maleeha Lodhi ‘Pakistan’s Security Challenges.’ The writer makes an apt conclusion that only economically strong, internally stable and tolerant Pakistan will have the capacity and confidence to deal with external challenges. After World War II, the world saw two important changes. Firstly, world has moved from bi-Polaris to regionalism and secondly, no power in the world has to attack another country physically to contain it, rather it captures the soil and nation by controlling the economy of that country. The country which is economically strong, need not beg and depend on other countries. China rose to power only by strengthening its economy and according to IMF report, China overtook the US to become the world’s largest economy in terms of PPP (Purchasing Power Parity).
Pakistan needs to rise among the comity of nations economically. Economic strength can make ours a strong nation. In this way, the leader of a strong nation would be in a better position to talk on long standing issue of Kashmir with India on parity basis. Though the government is striving to achieve economic strength, it needs to make more efforts in terms of policy making and execution of those policies.
NAZIA JABEEN,
Lahore, December 16.