ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said the national economy was inextricably linked to security matters, adding that a weak economy could adversely affect Pakistan’s safety.
Addressing the opening session of the Margalla Dialogue 2021 with the theme “Breaking Past, Entering Future”, the prime minister said the safety of the country could not be ensured until the development and equitable growth of all strata of society was achieved.
The dialogue was organised by Islamabad Policy Research Institute, a think-tank focusing on regional and international security scenarios.
“Unequal distribution of resources leads to anarchy among the people who are left out of the mainstream development,” he said.
He said the uplift of the underprivileged segment of the society was critical to ensure across the board national security.
He stressed that rule of law and equality for all were the preconditions for democracy.
He regretted that Pakistan had suffered an inequality due to three simultaneous educational systems, namely English and Urdu medium schools, and the madrassas.
Khan pointed out that differences in educational standards of the systems resulted in three different kinds of generations with discrimination in opportunities of jobs.
He also pointed out that corruption, particularly of the elite, was detrimental to the development of a country.
The prime minister emphasised the importance of research by the think tanks of the country to counter the negative propaganda in the world.
“Research leads to original thinking within a society. You have to define yourself instead of letting others define you,” he said.
He said lack of in-depth research led to reliance on second-hand information by the western think tanks on important issues such as Afghanistan.
Pakistan, he said, was the country that suffered most in collateral damage in the wake of the Afghan conflict, however was made a scapegoat for the mistakes of the superpowers.
The premier mentioned that inability of the national leadership to handle the Afghan situation wisely landed the country into two main pro and anti-America divisions.
He said the role of local thinktanks in this situation was important to effectively highlight Pakistan’s perspective in the world rather than being under continuous criticism by the western lobbies.
The prime minister said Pakistan was blamed for wrong reasons by the international community, whereas it remained mum on the atrocities committed by India in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Khan said Pakistan in fact had a beautiful and positive face being the home of generous and hospitable people.
‘UNITED, STRONG VOICE NEEDED TO RESOLVE KASHMIR DISPUTE’
Khan said the West conveniently ignored the atrocities India committed in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and called for a strong voice from the united platform of Muslim bodies.
“No western country is criticising India for the wrongs it is committing in Kashmir. Had it been some other country, it could raise a lot of hue and cry in the [western] world,” he said.
Khan said it was unfortunate the Islamophobic government in New Delhi was continuing with its fascist policies and meting out ill-treatment to the people in Kashmir and other religious minorities across India.
Unfortunately, he said, the Muslim world lacked the think tanks that could effectively highlight Indian atrocities before the world.
He regretted that global think tanks concentrated on extremism in Pakistan and painted the entire nation with the same brush.
Also, the nation’s “so-called intellectuals” misguided the foreign reporters about the presence of “hordes of extremists” on the soil, he said.
He said contrary to the impression, Pakistan was the land of hospitable, generous and civilised people with strong family values.
He pointed out that overseas Pakistanis faced a difficult situation when they came to know about negative propaganda being spread about their homeland.
Khan said the press in the western nations portrayed Pakistan in a negative light. “Just pick up the newspapers of 10 to 12 years, it is full of content regarding blaming Pakistan [for the wrongs in Afghanistan] despite its enormous casualties in the war against terrorism,” he said.
He recalled that Pakistan faced a “very bleak period and humiliation” despite being an ally of the United States. “This was due to our inability to project our point of view in the world,” he added.
The prime minister emphasised the importance of research by the think tanks of the country to counter the negative propaganda in the world.
“Research leads to original thinking within a society. You have to define yourself instead of letting others define you,” he said.
He said lack of in-depth research led to reliance on second-hand information by the western think tanks on important issues such as Afghanistan.
Pakistan, he said, was the country that suffered most in collateral damage in the wake of the Afghan conflict, however was made a scapegoat for the mistakes of the superpowers.
He mentioned that inability of the national leadership to handle the Afghan situation wisely landed the country into two main pro and anti-America divisions.
He said the role of local thinktanks in this situation was important to effectively highlight Pakistan’s perspective in the world rather than being under continuous criticism by the western lobbies.
The prime minister lauded National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf for compiling a book on Afghanistan that gave a correct Pakistani perspective on the situation.
On Islamophobia, he said, a strong response by Muslim think tanks was important to nullify the impression of Islam’s linkage with terrorism.
