Pakistan's 'Vision 2030' envisages rule of law, democracy

[Neo]

Pakistan's 'Vision 2030' envisages rule of law, democracy ​

Islamabad, Aug 19 (IANS) President Pervez Musharraf will Tuesday release a 'Vision 2030' document envisaging 'political freedom and economic justice' to make Pakistan a developed nation.

The document, prepared by the Planning Commission, aims at making Pakistan a developed, industrialised and prosperous nation enjoying democracy and freedom of expression within one generation, Dawn reported Sunday.

Official sources told the newspaper that the president had turned down a proposal to limit the launch to state-controlled media, saying that the document needed a 'national debate'.

It advises the rulers to overcome the 'democracy deficit' in order 'to restore trust between the state and the people'.

It asks the rulers 'to ensure accountability of all organs of the state to avoid democratic disruptions as happened in the past'.

'Pakistan needs to provide political freedom, economic justice and opportunity and cultural, religious and intellectual expression to its people,' the document urges.

It says the country needs to cross three benchmarks - independence of the judiciary, efficiency of the government and quality of the bureaucracy.

It seeks commitment of the rulers to create 'a just society' if Pakistan is to be counted among developed countries. 'The government has been urged to ensure rule of law and access to justice for every citizen,' an official said.

The official said billions of rupees were required to realise the vision for which working groups were being finalised to prepare sector-wise recommendations along with funding requirements.

The document deals with internal and external challenges and offers solutions and remedies besides suggesting improving economy by undertaking second-generation reforms which have been delayed by the government, drawing concern from international donors.

The core theme of the Vision 2030 is that Pakistan will transform itself into a just, prosperous and sustainable society.

It will be manifested initially through significantly reduced inequality and access to national resources, and later it must lead to change in consumption patterns, which do not harm the integrity and productivity of the natural systems while sustaining inter-generational equity.

'The institutional requirement for attaining all these features is the rule of law which provides optimal productivity and equity for each citizen,' it says.

'This is ensured when these rights are embedded in broad-based and participatory institutions, not just in the state sector but also through strong and capable civil society institutions and a socially responsible corporate sector.'

It says that economic justice can only flow from a well-ordered and inclusive society, where imbalances created by the continuation of an ancient order are resolved and national wealth is shared equitably.

'We must accord special attention to the vulnerable position of women in the home and workplace in the context of a patriarchal society which is crumbling fast, but is not yet confident of the new moorings. We expect to have crossed the threshold of gender-sensitive society within the next decade,' it says.

Pakistan's 'Vision 2030' envisages rule of law, democracy - Yahoo! India News

 

[yarmook]

sounds gr8 mate!

Long live mushy and his thoughts

I wish people of our society could leave ages old stupid norms and adapt islamic norms which forms basis of western society today!

 

[Sam Dhanraj]

Fast forward to 2047​

By Irfan Husain

SINCE the beginning of time, mankind has struggled to learn what tomorrow holds. Seers and oracles have been consulted; prophets have foretold what the days ahead will be like; and even the entrails of dead animals have been read in an effort to unlock the secrets of time.

But by its very nature, the future remains veiled. More recently, science and reason have been called into service: intricate programmes running on powerful computers make projections based on the past and the present. Weather forecasting is an example of this kind of technology.

A couple of weeks ago, I had written an article in which I had speculated on what the subcontinent would look like now if it had not been partitioned 60 years ago. I must have struck a deep chord in the South Asian psyche because I am still responding to the hundreds of emails that poured in from readers.

However, it is relatively easy to play this kind of ‘what if?’ game. After all, the past is behind us, immutable and unchangeable. Unlocking the future remains the ultimate challenge. So this week, I am venturing on a far more difficult exercise, and guessing at what the subcontinent might look like in 2047, a century after Partition and Independence. I realise that this kind of foray into futurology might upset some readers, but I would like to remind them that this, too, is just a game.

As I gaze into my crystal ball, I can see that friction between India and Pakistan over Kashmir is a thing of the past. The Line of Control was declared the international border in 2012, and has long been open to trade and tourists. Indeed, the violence generated by faith-driven ideologies has greatly abated, not just on the subcontinent, but the entire world. Like the religious wars fought in Europe centuries ago, the present conflict, too, has run its course.

This is not to suggest that the world is suddenly blessed with peace. Far from it. Wars are now fought over resources. Water is getting scarcer as glaciers have melted, and the monsoons have become erratic as a result of global warming. On the subcontinent, tension is rising over the division of rivers that spring from common sources, but flow into Pakistan through India. The former accuses the latter of diverting its share of precious water. International arbitration is often resorted to, but these constant charges generate considerable political and economic tension.

Internally, in Pakistan the federal structure has been greatly weakened by the insistence of the smaller provinces on controlling their resources and their destiny. This provincial freedom, however, has been won at huge cost. To this day, the Punjabi establishment tries to pressure Baloch, Sindhi and Pashtun politicians to toe the line. But each federating unit is proud and prickly. The result is a shaky federation that does not speak with one voice. Policy is no longer made exclusively in Islamabad, but is subject to vetoes from Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.

In India, too, this centrifugal force is at work. South India, the dynamo of the country, increasingly resents having to contribute to the less efficient north. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu are, to all practical purposes, independent. They fly the Indian flag more for convenience than from compulsion. Indeed, much of India is now more a loose confederation than a centrally administered federation.

More and more, the vast and varied subcontinent has reverted to its ancient political geography.

This de facto Balkanisation has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, smaller units have seen a cultural renaissance as languages, literature and the arts have thrived, thanks to a loosening of ties with a controlling and stifling majority. But simultaneously, bickering over minor issues between small neighbours is a debilitating fact of life.

India by now has long been a member of the UN Security Council, although the organisation now exists largely in name only. Some of its cultural and developmental agencies continue to do useful work, but for years, it has been politically marginalised. The great powers hold informal consultations to try and prevent local conflicts from getting out of hand.

Inevitably perhaps, friction between India and China, the two Asian giants, has grown over their constant rivalry. Both continue to expand their markets, and clash over the procurement of resources like increasingly precious oil and ores.

In this clash, Pakistan is seen both as a buffer and a potential ally. Diplomats from Beijing and New Delhi vie for an advantage, with Islamabad becoming a hive of espionage.

By now, the population on the subcontinent has stabilised at close to three billion, and absolute poverty has declined. Globalisation has provided more jobs, and increased productivity in agriculture has made previously marginal land holdings profitable.

Drip irrigation has made vast tracts of the desert bloom. Israeli experts have helped to train thousands of farmers in more economical ways to use water.

Given the huge economic and military gap that has opened between the two neighbours, all talk of a ‘balance of power’ between India and Pakistan has long been forgotten. Nevertheless, there are still elements in both countries who nurse ancient grudges. Radical nationalist groups in India harbour hopes for a ‘Greater India’ encompassing Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Pakistan, some extremists still dream of the day when the green flag of Islam will flutter over Delhi’s Red Fort. But these are fringe groups with little or no real influence.

Socially, gender discrimination in Pakistan has declined, especially in urban centres where economic necessity has put millions of women in the workplace. However, female illiteracy is still rampant in the tribal areas of Balochistan and the North Western Frontier Province that was re-named Pakhtunistan after the referendum of 2023.

But despite the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan, both countries continue to maintain large defence forces. Although disarmament talks have been held from time to time, there has been no breakthrough.

Thus, a century of independence has witnessed the waste of hundreds of billions. Hawks on both sides insist that it is this uneasy balance of forces, underwritten by a powerful nuclear capability that has prevented more wars from breaking out. But for the poor, this is not an easy argument to accept.

So all in all, it’s not a very rosy picture. But it’s not all bad, either. I can only be grateful I will not be around to be told how wrong I was when we celebrate a century of independence.

DAWN - Irfan Hussain; August 18, 2007


Crystalball gazing anyone ??

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Fast forward to 2047​

Crystalball gazing anyone ??

Irfan Hussain's vision 2047- Crystal ball gazing indeed. Musharraf's Vision 2030 - Specific goals and policies. Lets wait and see how well he implements policies in pursuit of those goals; if Musharraf actually makes it into the next government without being completely incapacitated.

 

[Neo]

‘Vision 2030’​

THE absence of democratic institutions is only one of the many misfortunes of Pakistan; equally serious have been the fundamental mistakes made in the country’s socio-economic development. A review of the economic policies since independence is beyond the scope of this piece. But certain aspects of the kind of economic planning we have had deserve to be noted because of their profound negative impact on Pakistan’s political and economic systems. The middle class has, no doubt, expanded both in size and in terms of its ratio to the population since 1947, but it has not expanded fast enough for two reasons: one, large feudal landholdings were not abolished and, two, the increase in the literacy rate has been painfully slow while the population has grown rapidly. There were two major land-reform attempts — first during the Ayub regime and later under the Bhutto government. But the implementation of both was half-hearted, and the powerful feudal lobby — which controlled the levers of governmental and legislative powers — managed to evade the reform laws’ operation. This had several consequences, one of them being the perpetuation of the wretched economic condition of the landless peasant class, which depended for its survival on the feudal lords. The building of new dams, barrages and canals following the Indus Waters Treaty brought more areas under cultivation, but the new lands went to the already rich feudals or to the new class of civil and military bureaucrats, who managed to get the canal-fed lands at cheap rates. Thus, while the landed aristocracy further strengthened its position, the pauperised landless peasant had only two choices: either to accept the bondage he has been living under for generations or to migrate to the cities to earn a living.

The urban conditions in Pakistan today stem from the absence of an equitable agricultural sector. Industrialisation began in earnest during the Ayub rule, but instead of being evenly spread it was confined to certain families. While the rural poor flocked to the cities to provide manpower for industry, the scant civic and utility services in the urban areas came under further pressure, leading to tensions and unrest. These factors, plus a low literacy growth rate, combined to inhibit the growth of a vibrant middle class which could have a stake in democracy, rule of law and the creation of an egalitarian society, with the rights of all citizens, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and gender, safeguarded. The ‘Vision 2030’ document seeks to undo these injustices and aims at transforming Pakistan into “a well-ordered and inclusive society, where imbalances created by the continuation of an ancient order are resolved and national wealth is shared equitably”.

These are laudable aims contained in a document which President Pervez Musharraf is likely to release to the media for a national debate. There have been such ‘visions’ before, too, and they have ranged from the utopia of Bhutto’s Islamic socialism to Ziaul Haq’s Islamic ‘system’. The end result is the kind of society we have today — a society characterised by the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, the rising wave of violence, especially the one backed by religious fanaticism, and the preponderant role which the military and the clerics have come to acquire in politics. ‘Vision 2030’ will stand a chance of success and acceptability by the people of Pakistan only if it is implemented by governments which are democratic in character and motive.

DAWN - Editorial; August 21, 2007

 

[EagleEyes]

Vision 2030 targets: Multiple challenges confront Pakistan

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: The government will confront multiple challenges in achieving the Vision-2030 targets that envisages socio-economic transformation of the country with a GDP of $1 trillion, population growth rate of one percent, 100 percent literacy rate, and complete eradication of poverty.

Targets of the vision, if achieved will definitely bring positive changes in human lives of the people. But with the passage of time new challenges are emerging keeping in view the socio-economic changes within the country and around the world. While achieving the set targets of the vision the country has to face multiple challenges.

Pakistan would have the world’s fifth largest population ranging between 230 and 260 million, of which 130-140 million are expected to be living in urban areas. This transition will be part of the global population dynamics whereby population will rise from current 6.3 billion to at least 8.2 billion by 2030, and more people will live in cities than rural areas. This has major implications for availability and sustainability of resources needed for mankind to survive. An allocation of Rs 4.3 billion has been earmarked for the population, in public sector 2007-08. There is an increase of Rs 1.3 billion over the actual expenditure of Rs3.0 billion in the last fiscal year.

Achievement of 100 percent employment in the country by 2030 is a big challenge for the government. Employment generation and matching of skills in a changing workplace will be central to poverty elimination, economic growth, and social stability. An amount of Rs 198.4 million has been allocated in the PSDP-2007-08 for 14 different projects including new initiatives.

By 2030, the natural resources will be severely depleted and stressed, especially water and land. The utmost threat would be faced by the arid parts of the planet, including Pakistan. Assuming that current water consumption patterns continue unabated, projections show that nearly half of the world’s projected population will live in water-stressed river basins in 2030. Pakistan, too, is fast approaching the water stress regime, with a storage capacity of only 9 percent of average annual flows compared with a world average of 40 percent.

The resource crunch will be aggravated by the looming climate change, whose impact and capacity to destabilise the geographical spread and location of human habitats is just beginning to be understood. Pakistan must prepare to adapt to the coming changes, and mitigate their negative impacts.

Food security will be under threat globally as much from degraded land and insufficient production, as it will be from a growing demand for different foodstuffs and higher nutrition requirements.

The world will demand more energy, on the wave of rapidly growing demand from Asia; it will be in short supply, and may not be affordable. Pakistan too will require enormous amounts of energy to meet its developmental challenges, and to attain and sustain its vision for growth. The government has allocated an amount of Rs 107 billion for the power sub-sector for the year 2007-08.

During the current year, more people will live in urban habitats than rural areas for the first time in human history. Pakistan too will face the challenge of managing approximately 80 million more city dwellers by 2030.

By 2030, governments and societies will be under strain from economic globalisation and the dispersion of technologies. One result will be that traditional centers of power –governments or industrial and business leaders– will no longer be able to digest information fast enough or to make every critical decision. Individuals would have more information and capacity for information at their fingertips than most countries or corporations have today. Pakistan will be under pressure politically and socially from other centers of political and economic power in the world, including non-state entities and international organisations. Pakistan would require mature and strong institutions to absorb their positive influences only.

Attaining gender parity and youth literacy remains a challenge due to large regional variations and low female enrolment in rural areas. In such situation achieving 100 percent literacy rate by 2030 looks very difficult to achieve.

Like all successful nation states in 2030, Pakistan too will continue to be multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious, and Pakistan would need to effectively manage its transition to a just society and a developed nation. The challenge will be to strengthen social and political institutions, to ensure that any imbalances and social tensions do not hold the country back.

The ongoing massive economic globalisation and dispersion of information and technology is changing the scale and nature of human enterprise. An important likely consequence of the techno-economic-knowledge revolution is the erosion of equity, in the world, at the same time as the tools for banishing inequity and poverty will become available to mankind. This is likely to be an important challenge for Pakistan.

Achieving the Vision 2030 targets, Pakistan will confront several others challenges like, markets and trade liberalisation, electronically networked world economy, workplace environment, emerging of the Asian region and many others. Rationally dealing with these challenges, it requires committed and sincere efforts on the part of government as well as private sector.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan