AhsanAmin
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As a Pakistani, I think we should maintain as cordial relationships with Saudi Arabia as possible, without sacrificing our interests as a country. As somebody earlier pointed out, a lrage number of Pakistanis work in SA, and it is a major source of remittances that help us maintain working level of foreign exchange reserves despite huge trade deficit in our international trade. We know, in the past, that Saudis might have also given us oil on credit. But it will be more advantageous to build on existing good relationship between two countries to invite their influential business people to invest in possible opportunities and projects in Pakistan. And explore possibilities of cooperation between large firms in Saudi Arabia and firms in Pakistan that have a good reputation and are going to be easily trusted by foreigners. Once a few joint projects become successful and profitable, far more investment will surely follow. We have seen investment by SA in some public enterprises in the past, but a pattern of successful joint investment on various projects will follow as a result of cooperation mostly between private sector firms of the two countries, so some sort of effort has to be made to initiate joint projects here. Really a phenomenon of foreign investment in our country's industry will result only if some industrial and manufacturing projects become very successful, and foreigners realize that investing in related industries is indeed very profitable and they can also run successful industrial ventures in Pakistan following the footsteps of those foreigners who have already invested here with success.
We also have to request Saudis to help us control the flow of money that helps people commit sectarian crimes, and should have some laws that charity and related donations into our country from foreigners are properly documented and there has to be some reasonable degree of accountability about how that money gets spent. A lot of foreign money in our poor country is a reason for many many problems most Pakistanis do not like in our country.
Another related issue is that we must not forget is that relations with Iran must be developed as it is natural for two neighboring countries. For example, In a little more than a decade, trade between Turkey and Iran has increased roughly by twenty five times. And benefits of trade between Pakistan and Iran would exceed, within a few years, the benefits from any foreign assistance we get from foreign countries opposed to good economic relationship between two neighbors. It is just that it is difficult for us to take the hard decisions that might result in a short time pain but far more benefit in the future. It would also be right to ask the foreign powers that Turkey can trade with Iran despite being a part of NATO, why can we not have good relations with Iran and others simultaneously. We do not want to part of any block or ally against any third country since being part of negative international politics will only hurt our country.
And I truly do not understand why the new government does not work on pipeline to import gas from Iran. Any delay in sourcing energy from Iran hurts our country's economy. If only we had completed this project five years ago, the benefit to our country might have exceeded any foreign aid, but we continue to shoot ourself in the foot, and do not even realize how we are damaging our country by not realizing our own potential, and fear that some foreign aid will be forfeited if we take the right steps for our country, and this general thinking of our nation continues to hurt us.
When it comes to international relations, we have to make sure we are not working against any third country due to our proximity to some other friend. And we have to realize that it could be possible only if we are economically strong but we still have to ask donor countries that we would honestly safeguard their right interests related to terrorism and other right human concerns, but we will not support them in alienating any third country at all or make alliance against that country, because being part of negative international politics will always hurt us in the future and this will be extremely short sighted of our leaders today, and we will unwittingly damage our country's economy and integrity. Only if we had learnt this a few decades ago, we might have been far more well off economically.
We also have to request Saudis to help us control the flow of money that helps people commit sectarian crimes, and should have some laws that charity and related donations into our country from foreigners are properly documented and there has to be some reasonable degree of accountability about how that money gets spent. A lot of foreign money in our poor country is a reason for many many problems most Pakistanis do not like in our country.
Another related issue is that we must not forget is that relations with Iran must be developed as it is natural for two neighboring countries. For example, In a little more than a decade, trade between Turkey and Iran has increased roughly by twenty five times. And benefits of trade between Pakistan and Iran would exceed, within a few years, the benefits from any foreign assistance we get from foreign countries opposed to good economic relationship between two neighbors. It is just that it is difficult for us to take the hard decisions that might result in a short time pain but far more benefit in the future. It would also be right to ask the foreign powers that Turkey can trade with Iran despite being a part of NATO, why can we not have good relations with Iran and others simultaneously. We do not want to part of any block or ally against any third country since being part of negative international politics will only hurt our country.
And I truly do not understand why the new government does not work on pipeline to import gas from Iran. Any delay in sourcing energy from Iran hurts our country's economy. If only we had completed this project five years ago, the benefit to our country might have exceeded any foreign aid, but we continue to shoot ourself in the foot, and do not even realize how we are damaging our country by not realizing our own potential, and fear that some foreign aid will be forfeited if we take the right steps for our country, and this general thinking of our nation continues to hurt us.
When it comes to international relations, we have to make sure we are not working against any third country due to our proximity to some other friend. And we have to realize that it could be possible only if we are economically strong but we still have to ask donor countries that we would honestly safeguard their right interests related to terrorism and other right human concerns, but we will not support them in alienating any third country at all or make alliance against that country, because being part of negative international politics will always hurt us in the future and this will be extremely short sighted of our leaders today, and we will unwittingly damage our country's economy and integrity. Only if we had learnt this a few decades ago, we might have been far more well off economically.