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Why not our own think tank!

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ARTICLE (February 24 2009): A new tsunami is heading toward our shores and is threatening our economic and political foundations. Our socio-economic structure, which is not tougher than a sandcastle, is struggling to survive a massive earthquake. Due to this ordeal, our geo-political situation could be undermined by anyone and for that very reason; prospects of our future existence are now being discussed by all our partners and long-standing stakeholders.

Such distrust from interim players is a bit tolerable, since our own well-being is in the middle of nowhere but is certainly at the mercy of our own butter coated fingers. We as a nation are very talented in criticising. For that reason, we are much used to colossal criticism against the existing set-up. Quite shockingly, the scale and enormity of such criticism has surpassed the scale and enormity of criticism that we heard during the last decade.

It is interesting to note, that Pakistan could be the only nation in the world where a democratic set-up has faced more condemnation compared to an autocratic set-up. We cannot overlook the fact that the current appalling state of affairs is a legacy of ten years of autocratic regime. Such an idyllic opportunity to criticise has been humbly rendered to rivals, who missed the bandwagon by a mere margin. Our last sixty years' performance is not very commendable.

The present democratic setup will obviously have limitations, if it would like to go ahead with plans to undo all errors made within the last 60 years of our existence. We must not blame them alone for the suffering; simply because the test pitch has been kept occupied by numerous other players. I can recall a meeting held few years back between a senior foreign official and myself.

As I and my likeminded acquaintances were mentioning our point of view that War on Terror and its SOPs should be reassessed, the gentleman agreed and acknowledged "we do really want you to be an ally in War on Terror and would like you to be part of the process of drafting SOPs for the subject as well because Pakistan needs to follow the global agenda but if Pakistan is not providing appropriate curriculum and education policy to its citizens, is not taking care of health and wellbeing of its inhabitant, is not pursuing a healthy environmental policy to make this globe a better place to live and is not reforming its external and internal policies, then Pakistan is going nowhere but is heading towards a devastation.

The fact is that damage to Pakistan's affluence could create danger for the whole world." I would certainly regard these remarks as very impulsive. Since the amount of potential and opportunities that Pakistan has is phenomenal but due to our shortened vision, ill-advised policies and poorly implemented legislation we have achieved almost nothing. Due to these very reasons, certain elements want us to be regarded as a failed state.

Such a state of affairs is not the creation of lack of resources but is due to fragile security situation and ill-planned fund management. We are only depending on the key regional players and other elite democratic set-ups. Our political situation is a novel one. Pakistan has been through short term to mid term electoral crisis. Swift voyages between confinement era and power era are no surprise in Pakistan. Thus stability has always remained missing.

Our economic policies have always been depending upon the existing power stakeholders. Tax inflows have always greatly depended on salaried class at source. We cannot ignore the fact that it is the salaried class, which is more exposed to social and economic crises, yet it is the salaried class which takes most of the burden. We have been fighting a foreign war, which has now become our own war.

We have been on the receiving ends and our foreign policy has been under influence from those fund providers, such coherent lending demonstrates their own coherent interests or rather vested interests. Foreign think tanks are hammering failed state slogan on us in news media and we can't do much about it.

We are rapidly losing time with the new White House administration and we have not been able to manage and delegate a first-rate lobbyist to explain our position and to make the United States understand that our economic prosperity is imperative and essential to win the war on terror. Pressure tactics against the people of Pakistan would have unconstructive repercussions.

It is disheartening to know that Pakistan has not been able to effectively channel its talent and resources. The reason is the absence of continuity of policies. The continuation can be only guaranteed, if there is a central and independent body, which can assure to serve the Pakistani interests only. Such food for thought can only be provided by a dedicated think tank.

A think tank, as we know (also called a policy institute) is an organisation, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research, engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice. It is the time to develop and nourish such group of people who would act as think tank force of our country.

We would require nothing but a team of social scientists who are well acquainted with our dilemma's and can develop an antidote to cure all our ailments. If we are able to develop this core team whose its job should be nothing but to prepare a reformed policy paper for each and every burning issue present on the board, does the brainstorming to transform proposals into reality, focuses on training and development of our cabinet members and key players.

I am certain that this would create a difference at the least. We should create a faculty that should include scholars, senior politicians, experts, economists, senior mediators, lobbyists and other social groups. All such talent should gather under one roof who should review, observe and reform policies and procedures for government and civil institutions, draft accurate SOPs for authorities for restructuring and reorganising the concerned bodies, review the legislation and implement new guiding principles.

After finalisation of such new policies, they should be presented to the news media to enlighten the general public. The proposed group can act as an umbrella authority or as a shadow administration that could be named as an advisory council. It wouldn't be a research or monitory authority only; it would also propose and implement looked-for reforms at all levels. It would not hamper or obstruct usual government operations. It would rather assist, facilitate and pave the way for efficient and effective operations.

Thus it would address every issue of Pakistan, regardless of it being a civil, military, executive, judiciary or a print/electronic media subject. The proposed authority should separately designate staff for each and every department and ministries. Every assignment should have a dedicated project management team with suitable chain of command.

The projected delegation of responsibilities would have immense positive outcome as the government's image would improve as an effective administrating entity and would counter all opposition because all parties could be invited to become regular member of the proposed authority as active participants. It is advisable to mention that the proposed authority's human resource should consist of Pakistan's best talent.

An authentic transparent selection process should guarantee the hiring of appropriate people. Hiring should be done indiscriminately and all efforts should be made to nurture the organisation's human resource. A new working attitude in the government settings can be initiated and civil service can develop into even more forward looking, progressive entity with the sole aim of bringing change in attitude. Therefore let's be optimistic about our future.
 
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Any democracy in the world needs time it will vote for people like Nixon sometime and learn from its mistakes this does not mean we stop believing in our system our elders got a nation that was born to them it was like their child and they believed in it just like any father would if his son was caught doing drugs or steling. We need to adopt this nation and really make it our own and treat it like a part of us just like a child with total belief and make our nation the parent for our future children who would consider it a shelter that can do no wrong.

Any think tank needs to stop and understand how a system really works take for example Karachi we had a Jamaat nazim (Naimatullah Khan) who made a few roads got the vote when MQM regained power it has bought further and better developements it has helped business trade and provide a generally better lifestyle now if they fail to deliver better in future they will be at risk of losing controll. See how beautifull democracy is when people learn the sense of how to vote they begin to enjoy this new given respect to them a power they start to understand they begin to dislike protesting like to keep the peace prefer better neighbourhoods take for example Faislabad that voted PML-N after trying PPP and then put PML-N in a position where they had to beautify the city and look where it stands today sooner or later we educated Pakistanis should begin to realise that when people vote they expect and when it doesn't deliver they start to vote else where this sort of power will grow slowly and come into the hands of the people who will then quest to know who they are voting for find sensible people within their community and vote for them such an idea will grow into villages who will then begin to understand the true essense of democracy. To bring change we need to educate our voters and make them demanding only then will our nation trully strive and grow.

I would love to join a think tank where all Idea's are accepted and all aspects looked into.
 
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