Undue criticism invites backlash and unnecessary praise entails criticism. Isn’t it undue criticism to say that PM was not invited at Davos and was forbidden from making a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF)? How can a Prime Minister of a country go to a world forum without any invitation? Was he free enough to plan a visit to the Swiss hills without invitation? Of course, they were not any secret meetings but national and international media published any meeting he had in detail.
These meetings include a meeting with the WEF Chairman who acknowledged Pakistan’s economic growth and apprised PM of the opinion of world business leaders who consider now Pakistan as an investment destination. In an other meeting, Swiss confederation President Leuthard offered to invest in Pakistan in energy sector especially hydel power projects. Meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister and Bill Gates are not hidden as well. All these meeting were not unscheduled or unwanted; rather they all were planned in coordination with PM office. The media manager of WEF has endorsed it in a letter in response to publication of a fictitious story. The newspaper covering the event could have use the words as “PM did not speak at WEF”, or something like that, but saying out-rightly that the “PM was forbidden to speak” seems quite inappropriate and non-serious. Here the purpose is not the condemnation and criticism but to present the events in logical manner. Like me, many people found the news story inconsistent.
If we talk of rumours there are many connected to this story. Indian channels propagated the baseless story as a part of their propaganda against Pakistan. They cannot see Pakistan being appreciated or being represented at important global forums. PM Nawaz Sharif in a meeting with the WEF president highlighted the issue of Kashmir and expressed his concern over India’s atrocities against Kashmiris in IHK. He conveyed that Pakistan wanted to normalise relations with India, finding a peaceful solution to the decades old Kashmir issue, according to the resolutions of UNO.
There is another report published by the WEF titled “Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017” released in Davos, ranking Pakistan at the 52nd number and India at 60th. Various Indian newspapers including the Hindu, Indian Express, Decean Herald, Punjab Times and others carried the report high lighting India below China and Pakistan in the inclusive Development Index (IDI).
The index is based on 12 performance indicators provide a comprehensive measure as compared to only GDP growth. This index consists of three pillars; growth, development, inclusion and intergenerational equity and sustainability. According to this report and other data available Pakistan is being considered one of the biggest economies of Asia and has the potential to take the initiative of regional connectivity further. The mega-projects like CPEC and the involvement of regional powers in this project has made Pakistan more important for regional integration.
The World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva in her visit to Pakistan has appreciated the economic improvement of Pakistan. She was impressed by the infrastructural development as well as progress in the energy sector. The World Bank has been investing in Pakistan since 1952 and has so for invested Rs 31 billion in social, infrastructure, water and energy sectors and plans to invest more.
All the facts of economic growth of Pakistan and real story of Davos is enough to make us realise that we being Pakistani should not damage our country’s reputation for personal gains but build it up as a nation Let us be builders not destroyers.
