Trade, not aid, is the way out. Aid will be pocketed by the military and political elites, only to strengthen the status quo. Long-term change will take place if the power of the landed elite is eroded. Transforming Pakistan’s economy, from an agrarian to an industrialized one, is probably the best bet. Strategies to encourage exports even in low skill industries such as garments have long-term political and social payoffs. Exports and industrialization are both indirect and non-threatening means to break the power of the landed elite, as no actor can denounce industrialization, as opposed to secularization, or even democratization. Without such economic transformation, Pakistan will continue its backward march towards religious extremism, accompanied with even more erosion in the status of the Pakistani woman. Empowering women via education will upset the status quo. But this empowerment cannot be realized by giving more foreign aid. It will be realized only by altering the economic structure, which supports the alliance among the fauji (soldier), the mullah (religious cleric), and the zamindar (landlord). - Sarah Ahmed/Aseem Prakash.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 07:09:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015