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US Senator John Kerry arrived in Pakistan on Monday to discuss a proposed bill envisaging US$1.5 billion of economic assistance per year to Pakistan over the next five years. During his visit, Senator Kerry, who is also the Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will touch on regional and security issues in meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, but the focus will be on future civilian and military aid.
If you could share a cup of tea with Senator Kerry during his stay in Islamabad, what would you ask him about the US’s plan for non-military assistance to Pakistan? How do you think non-military aid, which Pakistan is due to receive under the Kerry-Lugar bill, should be spent? What would you suggest Senator Kerry insist upon during meetings with the Pakistani leadership on how to distribute and allocate civilian aid?
It is interesting to see all talking of good for pakistan ! What we always fail to comprehend is that nothing comes for free in this world.It didn’t even come to Prophets without costs.
Determine now the direction for alliances with west or Mullah ! As long as cultural link with the local clergy is respected by state and society ,things are going to improve.Cooperation with developed world is essential for our future, a God given opportunity of global recession has opened new vistas for us to capitalize .
There is no dearth of qualified people in this country ,it only needs a merit based system where all are accountable including the Army.
US civilian aid of 1.5B a year is not going to make any difference in the lives of poor Pakistanis unless we change our economic system/policies.The Pakistani government must privatize all the industries like PIA, pakistan railways, WAPDA, telecom, banks and insurance comanies to mention a few. These concerns are loosing million of dollars every year and are a burden on our economy. The poor Pakistanis have to wait for months to get a electric meter or a telephone line unless they pay huge bribes to the government officials. The funds received by selling these assets to private companies can be used to retire foreign loans and reduce interest payments. This will also reduce the corruption in the society because government employees don’t perform their duties without huge bribes and not to mention the selling of jobs to the highest bidder. Alhumdu Lillah, Allah has bestowed Pakistan with lot of resources and hard working people but our economic system is in a state of shambles.
Nationalization of major industries (Cotton Mills, banks, insurance etc) was started by late Z.A.Bhutto and it ruined the country and foreign investments evaporated. The law and order must be maintained for economic growth and to encourage foreign investments in the country. No investor will ever invest a dime in a country where his/her life is in danger. Hongkong does not have any resources and everything is imported from outside but enjoys a highest per capita income after USA. Our judicial system must root out corruption in the society and no one should be above the law. We need leaders like our chief justice who stood against a dictator without fearing for his life. Individuals who committed crimes against the country must be punished in order to deter such crimes in the future. justice delayed is justice denied.
Religious education should also be provided in the schools because a nation without Deen is nothing. We have tried almost everything (socialism, capitalism etc) to solve our problems and the situation is worsening everyday. We must wake up before its too late.
Reject this Aid it is Acquired Independence Deficiency. It is time, Ruling elite of Pakistan learn to rely on it self as people of Pakistan being doing for last 60 yrs. The ruler of Pakistan always blame people of Pakistan for their own short comings, this charity will only feed deep corrupt pockets of bureaucracy, civil servants and ruling elite. We have to break this vicious cycle of dependency. Pakistani technocrats and economist should get together and formulate long term goals for developing Pakistan’s economy, not five years parasitic plans.
I will suggest that this aid should utilize to improve the life style of people living in trible areas of Pakistan,Educate them with the latest theme of studies and provide employments so that thay can think in positive way rather being Fundamentalist only easy access to education can solve what we are facing in these areas.
Education, Education & Education: Every thing will emanate from a well educated society. Instead of just condemning Madrassas, it is better to bring them into the mainstream education institution. The job isn’t that difficult to perform.
I really find it surprising that I haven’t seen much anger among the Pakistani people regarding this whole aid thing. IMF bailed Pakistan out at the last moment to avert a foreign payment obligation disaster. And moreover the haggling done by the Pakistan government over not only the amount of aid (your ambassador to US asking for $30 billion, and I think your president also came out with a number)but also how they should receive it, without any conditions. If I remember correctly, aid without conditions has been received by Pakistan several times in its history, look where it has gotten you!! Anyway good luck and all I can hope is that every dollar of all this aid goes for the benefit of the Pakistani people.
And to expect the US to not attach conditions is foolish, we are reeling here in the US under all these bank failures and bailouts and sour economy. American taxpayers are angry right now and as such aid without safeguarding American interests is not going to happen.
First of all Ladies and Gents this money is peanuts pakistan lost 10 time more in this so called War on Terror. Pakistan needs 7.5 billion every year for the next 10 years to stand on its feet.
Pakistan is a nation having great potential. We can stand on our own feet without any feoreign aid. We must not forget that aid be it from US, IMF etc comes with conditions which only strengthen their grip on Pakistan.
Regarding how we can manage:
We must realise pakistan is a land full of resources ranging from gold and copper to coal and natural gas. Moreover, being an agricultural nation we should ideally be independant of foreign powers.
What needs to be done is the public should account the leaders especially feudals for their corruptions in the agricultural sector(by keeping a majority of the land barren), and also limit the power of selling off any resource of Pakistan eg (rekodik mines) to foreigners.
And this can only be done if we replace articles of our constitution which give immunity to ministers, PM, president, COAS and CJ i.e all elites!! And also replace those articles which give these leaders the freedom to do whatever they like by simply passing bill of interest to the MNAs but a disaster for Pakistan.
I personally believe the problems are political in nature and 60+ years have shown that keeping hopes from these leaders, this constitution, or this democratic system is just a myth!
1.5 billion a year is not enough and should be increased.
Whatever be the amount it should be spent through US agencies directly and not through the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats of Islambad.
There must be no favouritism and all provinces should get an equal share. May be a little bit more for FATA and Swat since they are lagging far behind and have suffered the most.
Nothing should be paid till Sharia is undone in Swat.
The money should be spend on the re-education of the weakest, illiterate and the most dangerous people in Pakistan; the clerics, the army men, the policemen who have been influenced by the Saudi style Wahabism and support the Taliban with money, morale and links.
Aid would add into the deposits held by few but corrupt elete of Pakistan. I am sure not even a meager amount would trickle down to poor lot. 1.5 Bn dollars of aid it judiciousely utilized, i am sure would bringsome tangable effects on economic well being of Pakistanies. However how small the amount may be it would not be used honestly. I recommend that instead of handing it over to goverment, it should be given to a board of directors which may include Mr Nawaz Sherif, Mr IMran Khan and other leaders which may include even Mr Pervaiz Elahi. Giving it to government and expecting a judicious utilization is asking too much from our time tested elite.
No aid money is going to stop the country from being Talibanized when efforts are sabotaged by corrupt politicians, by uneducated Wahabi clerics, and worse, by some military and security intelligence men who betray us and our forces by giving aid and training to our extremist enemies backstabbing us in the back like the recent Dawn article below suggests.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/sindh/tale-of-militants-motivation-and-reach–za
Do not give a cent to the politicians or those in senior government positions. Use it on education, health, clean water and food and jobs creating industries and technical institutions providing skills and education.
Spend more on those who needs it not wants it. For example, Zakat is the right of poor and needy. So any donations/development packages must be utilized for/on those who needs it. The small provinces of Pakistan have been robbed and cheated for decades by the larger ones, and especially the politicians from there, so please educate the non-educated people of Pakistan so the whole nation can benefit from this and other packages and every one can stand on their own feet. Education and technical skills are the most important for any nation to succeed. While the small provinces are blamed for everything goes bad in the country but no one is paying attention to the causes of it. Lack of education, employment and health facilities are the common problems of the common man and woman in Pakistan. Pakistan has been robbed by the corrupt politicians and we need to get rid of them if we want Pakistan to be a strong independent country.
I fully agree with Sarwar Husain, Yawar Saeed Khan, Husain Mandviwala, Tarique and many others who realize that education is the only means of breaking the hold over poor people by militant mullahs. Illiterate people cannot vote, cannot educate their children to at least aim for a rung on the ladder above their parents’. The government has failed for many years to provide adequate educational opportunities for the poor. With no other choices, parents are thus forced to send their children, usually boys, to madrassahs, many of which are run by radical clerics who do not want progress or modernization of any kind. I agree with those that say the government and army should be kept out of responsibility for disbursing non-military aid. ISI Chief visiting Washington should be informed that scrutiny will be imposed on all aid. US partly to blame for not/not demanding that the $10 billion to Pakistan over the past 8 years in the so-called war-on-terror must contain strong and transparent development and educational components. It is not too late for this. Pakistan gained the world’s respect when the lawyers took to the streets and demanded the reinstatement of the Chief Justice. It took a long time but that has finally happened, thanks to a courageous exercise of democratic rights. The poor do not understand those rights, people on this site are doing it for them and I applaud them for that. Write letters to papers, hold demonstrations – where those are allowed. The few who can should speak out forcibly for those who cannot. Good luck!
I hope that the United States sticks to its guns, does not give a red cent of unconditional aid to Pakistan, and carefully monitors how it is disbursed,
The recent happenings in Pakistan i.e. the passage of the bill accepting the enactment of the Sharia bill with the full cocurrence of the so called secular parties, PPP and ANP is shameful and disgusting and is likely to mark the beginning of the end of Pakistan. The appeasement of the Mullahs will achieve nothing but will surely embolden them to ask for more.
MQM, reviled and derided as it is,not entirely without reason, at least shines in this sorry situation by standing for modernity and secularism to say nothing of its connection to the masses, being against feudalism and dynastic politics, the scourge of political life in Pakistan.
I suppose if the girl’s schools blown up by Talibs in Swat were to be rebuilt then that would be a start.
I can answer the question with a hypothetical answer because question itself is hypothetical. I say this because once the money is under the pak bureacracy control, they will find a way to pocket these funds in their personal accounts. If Senator Kerry really wants that the aid should benefit the poor masses then he must secure US oversight rights over any project funded by US Aid. The money should be spent on Education, healthcare and power supply. some aid should be spent on reforming/training of the administrative machinery. These development programs should only be in the rural areas and small towns/villages of NWFP and Balochistan .Further, these development projects should not be the traditional way. For example construction of buildings for hospitals. There are plenty buildings marked as hospitals but there are no doctors and no medical equipments in those buildings. Aid should be spent to improve the existing schools and hospitals and build new building only where necessary. I would like to mention here one true story of an education project in my village in Distt. Sanghar Sindh. There was a primary school in the village consisting of two rooms with mud walls and wooden roof and a large compound with lot of trees. There was no electricity but there was no need for electricity due to the natural cooling because of trees. The education deptt. cut all the trees and build a brick building. In summer it was so hot one can not sit in the room and in winter too cold. Above all the building had one big iron gate which was never closed once it opened for the opening ceremony.
I have worked for the US AID as a development practioner, we worked in every disciplne including, agriculture, rural development,energy, health, education, etc. population planning.
US AID assistance consists of Technical Assistance, Commodities and Training. This is known as Project Assistance. Numerous issues emerge in this type of assistance. Commodities shipped to the country sometimes i dumped, training, when people are sent for trainingfrom government offices, one year or phd programs, some return and some are left behind. One year training [program in ujiversities there are sort of picnics and do not help build focus on work or goal orientation.
Technical assistance through US Govt. contractors is very costly. It does not help much and there is no technology transfer.
GOP will have to understand that and serious brain storming sessions needed at the planning commission, which sectors need attention and what sort of assistance is needed, should it be reimburseable basis. Let our contractors qualify the list, complete jobs and get reimbursed. If it goes into govenment budgetary procedures, ten it is just a waste of time, money and energy.
USAID Mission to Pakistan should also review the past activites and learn lessons how do our projects either failed or did not move. Why US AID Projects in various areas did not bring the desired results? Howe about involving Private Sector ? How about developing Teachers Training Programs. How about developing projects which could train our unskilled labor in the field of electricity, plumbing, carpentry and bring innovative technology in masonary and construction industry.
How about linking aid assistance with private sector participation…so if persons are trained as electricians, plumbners, technologist, lab assistant, medical technologists can get a job? How about deigning projects which bring the major segment of population learning new technolgies, Millions of cell phones are being imkported, and you don’t find one institute which could train people to repair and maintenance of cell phones. How about investments in IT field. Let government handle and regulate conventional department and let aid assistance in new area which is our need.
Let US AID not enter into again, in the fields of agriculture, agriculture education and research, poultry and livestock development, irrigation and developing water channels.Let government make their own programs. Let US AID design projects which can create jobs and which can win the public heart for America. If US AID enters into conventional projects, it won’t win public support. US AID Assistance must be related to directly rewarding population and unskilled labor of Pakistan. Otherwise even 10 billion dollar assistance will be wasted again with no benefit to public.
US AID Mission must have brain storming sessions with different segments of population to understand the practical realities where aid assistance can beuseful.
Again, US AID should not hire retired government officials to manage projects. It has been proved in 1990 in many projects, when retired govt officers were hired to manage projects, the projects failed Because these officers had their affiliations with their parent departmjents and lot of favoritizm and nepotizm developed. It was dagerous to AID assistance.
US AID Mission need to reassess and revisit what had happened in the past. I worked for AID 1956-1991. I and many others like me know very well, how US AID Projects failed.
Econoic Affairs Division, Planning Commission must sort out which areas need more attention where more jobs can be created.
We definitely need Teachers Training Institutes to train train teachers for future schools. We need trained technicians. we need equipment in hospitqals. We need training in hospital administration . Let MS be relieved of his administrative duties, letnon-medical people handle administration and let professional do their work.
Management should not be left with doctors. Let them go into R&D and do something creative. Lot of Mnagement Specialists and HRD people available to manage such institutions.
AID should not go back to Water Management and Ag.University Faisalabad, let provincial govt. handle it. AID won’t make much difference. Traing PHDs, and then what. How to develop Research Institutes,let them come upto the expectations of the people of Pakistan. Ask Dr. Zafar Altaf, what he thinks about it.
He has pretty good idea as to whatto do in Agriculture.
I would request both GOP and US AID to look seriously on US AID Assistance programs andlet us know do something unique which could win thehearts of Pakistani public.
Stand on your own foot! Stop begging! Empower yourself! Need to have self respect! Don’t lose your self-esteem!
I am pakistani working in UK. I am surprised at the fact that noone is talking strong in terms of Taliban. The president and prime minister agree that they are threat to the future of the country.Also local activists, women ngo’s, educated class etc. But I havent seen any strong remark from ISI or army regarding strong action to be taken against Taliban. The army chief said the country is capable of any internal or external threat. How can he justify the fact that Taliban supporters are moving freely in Buner, spreading their power. Cant the military be send there, and fight against them there ? Isnt this kind of encouraging them , to turn a blind eye, by not doing anything? I am depressed seeing the current plight.
first thing first. We are missing the audits and check and balance on the aid we received from USA. Therefore, we need to set-up the process to make sure we hold govt and other agencies accountable to justify and publish where they spend the money. Once we have established the process, I think money can spend in public necessities and safety which falls into following:
1) Clean water availability for each and every citizen who lives in Pakistan.
2) Distribution of undistributed electricity throughout the country.
3) safety of the public which may requires hiring of trained and well paid police officers. Installation of cameras on major cities and intersections, check points with latest equipments, more police stations.
4) Education – opening up semi private primary and secondary school so poor people can have free quality education. Also, introducing the voucher system for education for needy families and choice of schools.
5) Jobs – Provide jobs for every age level so crimes can be reduce from the society.
I hope this helps!
regards,
Imran
Why do we have to beg? I think we have lost our integrity as a nation. We need to learn to live on our own else there is no future for Pakistan. We need a true leader.
US aid to Pakistan must be used for development projects such as Energy, textile upgrading, petrochemicals, fertilizer, cottage industry and mining.
But US must send in team to monitor the expenditure from going into politicians bank accounts. Let everyone declare their wealth before a dollar is received. It will be very unfortunate if leaders skim the money. Everyone must note this is the last time we will have a chance of development.
Pakistan must reject the aid if it has conditions like veto power for India and surrender of Dr. Khan.
Pardon my cynicism but I am not sure this aid will do Pakistan any good. The way things are it might as well end up in pockets of our so-called leaders (civilian and military).
If the US is really serious about getting Pakistan back on track, it should drop this policy of doling out handouts. Instead it must concentrate on strengthening Pakistan’s democracy (at center, province and local level) by not overtly pampering its military. What we need is strong institutions and capable work force to man them. The US should help us set up world-class universities, research centers and a productive industrial sector. We need to stand on our feet. We can’t be receiving money for doing undesirable jobs for others forever. The US by now must have realised that the source of many of Pakistan’s ills is this addiction to foreign intervention whenever things take a turn for the worse. This policy needs to be abandoned, not reinforced.
Senator Kerry and the USA must ensure that the non military aid they are giving is utilised for improving the eduction and the enlightenment of the people in Pakistan.