Morgan Stanley’s Strategist prediction about Pakistan in 2015 is not New!
Pakistan, on the world map, is located on an idealistic location. Its geography, since its birth, is thoroughly assessed, researched and mapped by world.
Last week it was in the newspapers that David M Darst who is Chief Investment Strategist of Morgan Stanley, in one of his lectures in Pakistan, highly talked about Pakistan’s future, its rise and economic importance in the coming decades with emphasis on the youth of Pakistan.
In other words it can be said that the world’s eyes are on Pakistan’s geo-political and geo-strategic position, its significance and how to exploit it. We need to understand that what Morgan Stanley’s Strategist predicted about Pakistan in 2015 was envisioned by Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf in 1999!
When he came to the helm of affairs, he was quite clear about the socio-economic road map on which he successfully maneuvered Pakistan and its interests with outstanding strategies and policies not only in the South Asian region but also in the whole world.
In a speech at an international Think Tank in 2010, Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf explained this shift of world’s focus on Pakistan during recent decades in the following descriptive words:
“Until 1989 the world’s geo-strategic focus was Euro-centric – because of the Cold War, because of East-West confrontation, NATO-Warsaw Pact, the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, etc. But after 1989 – or rather, after 9/11 – the geo-strategic focus shifted to South Asia and West Asia, for reasons that you all know. That is the happening place now. Therefore I would like to deduce that while in 1989 the area of South Asia could be abandoned because of the geo-strategic focus being Euro-centric, now when everything is happening in that area it is not possible to abandon the place.”
If we clearly study his national and foreign policies, it is evident that how successfully he projected Pakistan and its geography both regionally and internationally. Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf had, in fact even till date has gripping insight of the whole Himalayan region, its geo political set up and the socio economic factors with their global impact. In 2006, as President he explained the central position of Pakistan in the following words:
“Pakistan provides the natural link between the SCO states to connect the Eurasian heartland with the Arabian Sea and South Asia … We offer the critical overland routes and connectivity for mutually beneficial trade and energy transactions intra- regionally and interregionally”
[SCO states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]
Then to connect Pakistan with the oil rich Arabian Peninsula, and to provide access of Central Asian countries and China to the warm waters of Arabian Sea and also elevating the status of Balochistan he made Gawadar Port. In his words:
“Our geo-strategic significance can’t be reduced. We need to realize that we have understood that and therefore we have constructed a new port at Gwadar which is at the mouth of the Gulf almost.”
Pakistan is abundant with natural and human resources. It was in the regime of Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf that the manpower of the country was mainstreamed so much so that for the first time in Pakistan’s history, Reverse brain drain was happened with brilliant Pakistani mind and blood being ‘imported’ back to Pakistan.
He was the only leader who firmly believed in empowerment of youth and women. On several occasions he advocated their rights and role in society, not only in Pakistan’s soil but also on international floors.
In a nutshell, Pakistan can be best described in words of Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf who has ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade with its ranking in N-11 countries:
“If I was to encapsulate in the briefest manner the present situation in Pakistan, I would like to say that it is the most happening place in the world, where there is never a dull moment.”
Unfortunately Pakistan did not pay any heed to Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf’s reforms, policies, strategies and actions which were always in the interests of Pakistan and for the betterment of its people. Had this Nation ever realized his staunch stand on ‘Pakistan First’ policy, Pakistan would be ‘next China’ of the world ‘NOW’ in 2015, not after 35 years as predicted by David M Darst!