Riaz Haq writes this data-driven blog to provide information, express his opinions and make comments on many topics. Subjects include personal activities, education, South Asia, South Asian community, regional and international affairs and US politics to financial markets. For investors interested in South Asia, Riaz has another blog called South Asia Investor at http://www.southasiainvestor.com and a YouTube video channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkrIDyFbC9N9evXYb9cA_gQ
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised Pakistan's economic growth forecast for fiscal year 2017 (from July 2016 to June 2017) from 4.8% to 5.2%. The Bank also sees brighter outlook for the the entire South Asian region. However, the prospects of even a limited India-Pakistan war could derail the economies of the entire South Asia region. I hope that sanity will prevail in New Delhi to tone down its war rhetoric, abstain from escalation and maintain the current economic momentum.
ADB Forecast:
"...assuming further improvement in energy supply and security, and likely recovery in cotton and other agriculture-the growth forecast (for Pakistan) for FY2017 is revised up to 5.2%", says the Asian Development Outlook 2016 Update released September 27, 2016.
The ADO which is launched annually in March and updated in September provides a comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic issues in developing Asia.
The ADB report says that "growth in Pakistan will outperform the ADO 2016 projection for 2017". Here's an excerpt from the ADB report:
"In Bangladesh and Pakistan, estimated growth in the 2016 fiscal
year, to 30 June, exceeded the forecasts because robust performance
in manufacturing and services more than compensated for unexpected
weakness in agriculture. Increased consumption and public investment
contributed to the better performance in Bangladesh in 2016. A slower
growth forecast for 2017 is retained as agriculture growth is expected to
moderate. Growth in Pakistan will outperform the ADO 2016 projection for
2017 on improvements in energy supply, higher infrastructure investment in
an economic corridor project, and a better security environment. Improved
growth in these two large economies contrasts with Nepal, where the growth estimate for the 2016 fiscal year, which ended on 15 July, is below
the forecast following disruption to supply and trade, delayed reconstruction
of earthquake damage, and a poor monsoon. The economy is expected
to recover in 2017 as forecast in ADO 2016 on markedly accelerated
reconstruction spending and a good monsoon able to lift agricultural output."
Impact of US Interest Rate Hikes:
On the impact of possible interest rate hikes by US Federal Reserve on national debt situation in South Asia, the ADB report says
"Interest rates pose less risk to India and Pakistan, where
public debt is held mostly by domestic investors. However,
where a significant share of such debt is short term, as in
Pakistan, rollover risks are high and debt dynamics remain
vulnerable to shocks. For all these economies, staying
on course with fiscal consolidation through sound debt
management and the progressive expansion of the tax base
will help provide the fiscal resources and resilience needed to cope with
future domestic or external shocks."
Macroeconomic Indicators:
ADO 2016 Update says that the planned reduction in Pakistan's fiscal year 2017 budget deficit would enhance funding for private sector credit and better enable it to support rising domestic demand.
The federal government budget for FY2017 projects further reduction in the deficit to 3.8% of GDP achieved through new revenue measures and streamlining current expenditure.
Tax revenues are projected to increase by half a percentage point, raising the ratio of tax to GDP to 12.8% by eliminating more tax concessions and exemptions, expanding the withholding system as part of administrative reform to widen the tax base, and raising some excise taxes and customs duties, the report added.
The report says that Pakistan's current account deficit is expected to widen in FY2017 to about $5 billion, or 1.6 % of GDP, which is higher than forecast in March.
The revision reflects rising global oil prices, declining exports and continued expansion in imports stemming from faster economic growth.
Industrial Indicators:
Pakistan's fiscal year 2015-16 saw production of motorcycles soar to a new high of over 2 million units. This represents a 16.5% surge from last year. At the same time, passenger cars and light trucks sales rose to over 200,000 in fiscal 2016, a 20% jump over the same period last year.
Motorcycle Sales:
Rising motorcycle sales in Asia's developing nations like Pakistan are seen as a barometer of expanding middle class. It is, in part, attributed to rising incomes and availability of bank financing at historic low interest rates in the country.
As many as 2,071,123 motorcycles were manufactured during July-June (2015-16) compared to 1,777,251 units during July-June (2014-15), according to the latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and reported by Pakistani media.
Car Sales:
In addition to the double digit increase in motorcycle sales, Pakistan also experienced 20% jump in sales of passengers cars, light commercial vehicles (LCVs), vans and jeeps. The total sales of local vehicles increased by 21% to 216,568 as compared to 179,953 units sold in FY15, according to industry data.
Auto Parts Industry:
Rising auto and motorcycle sales are helping boost Pakistan's auto parts industry as well. “We are getting orders and the pace is increasing,” said Sultan and Kamil International CEO Faisal Mahmood speaking to Pakistani media on the sidelines of the 12th Pakistan Auto Show 2016 held at the Lahore International Expo Centre. Mahmood’s company makes more than 350 automotive parts and exports to all major automobile markets in the world.
Other Growth Industries:
Among other industries seeing significant growth are pharmaceuticals (6.54%), cement (17.01%), chemicals (8.13%), non metallic mineral products (10.02%), fertilizers (13.81%), leather products (7.76%) and rubber products (7.16%), according to media reports.
Summary:
Pakistan's economic recovery is in full swing with double digit growth in multiple industries, including auto, pharma, chemicals, cement, fertilizers, minerals, etc. It is expected to pick up steam over the next several years with new investments on the back of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor related projects. Prospects of even a limited war in South Asia could derail the economies of the entire region. I hope that sanity will prevail in New Delhi to abstain from escalation and maintain the current economic momentum.
Will India succeed in distracting the world’s attention from its brutal occupation of Kashmir? Is Pakistan isolated in the world as claimed by the Indian media?
Can all resistance to foreign military occupations in Afghanistan, Kashmir and elsewhere be dismissed as “terrorism”?
Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with panelists Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)
Amid the Hindu Nationalists calls for sending Pakistani actors home, what is being overlooked is the fact that Bollywood needs Pakistan more than Pakistan needs Bollywood. Why? Let me explain.
Pakistan is Bollywood's second biggest foreign market. Last year, Pakistan's box office receipts jumped by 28% while India's domestic box office collection fell 6.7%.
Decline in Bollywood's revenue at home is forcing the Indian movie industry to look to Pakistan for growth. Part of the Indian strategy is to feature Pakistani actors and artists in its productions to increase Bollywood's appeal to Pakistan's growing moviegoers market.
The money earned by Pakistani actors working in Bollywood is minuscule compared to the business Bollywood films are doing in the rapidly growing Pakistan market.
Pakistani Actors in Bollywood: Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Mawra Hocane
Bollywood ticket sales fell by 6.7% to INR 2,568 crore ($385m) from 2014’s total of INR 2,754 crore (US$413), according to figures published by India's Business Standard. Alarmed by declining sales, Disney Studios have decided to pull out of India.
After suffering huge losses at the domestic box office, the most recent one being Ashutosh Gowariker's Mohenjo Daro, Disney India - the company formed after Disney acquired controlling stake in UTV - has pulled the plug on all things Bollywood. Instead, Disney will only focus on its Hollywood films distribution, licensing and merchandising business in India, according to India Today.
On the other hand, Pakistani cinema, though small, is growing very rapidly with the explosive growth of multiplex theater screens. Pakistan's "The News Sunday" estimates that box office receipts in the country jumped 28 per cent in 2015 as compared to 2014 and this figure is only expected to grow in coming years. On Eid ul Azha this year, the top 3 highest-grossing films were all produced in Pakistan, according to EasyTickets.pk.
Here's how Indian media and entertainment analyst Akar Patel describes Bollywood's business opportunity in Pakistan:
"In Pakistan, there is a big market for Indian movies in their multiplexes. For decades this revenue was lost to Bollywood because the movies were pirated. Under former president Pervez Musharraf, the official screening of movies was allowed, benefiting both nations. Today all Bollywood movies are shown there. Unfortunately, the current state of ties between the two countries has been allowed to deteriorate so much that we should not be surprised if Musharraf's wise decision is reversed."
It is a win-win arrangement with Pakistani artists working with their Indian counterparts in Indian movies and increasing Bollywood revenue from Pakistan market.
If the anti-Pakistan rhetoric and the attacks on Pakistani artists in Mumbai continue, it is very likely that Pakistan will respond by banning the showing of Indian films in a rapidly expanding market market for Bollywood entertainment. In addition to increasing estrangement between the two neighbors, stopping cooperation and collaboration will be a significant blow for the entertainment industries in both India and Pakistan.
US visa is the most sought after visa in India. Those who get it celebrate with billboards. Those who don't find human smugglers to smuggle them into the United States. The preferred routes for illegal entry from India are through the Caribbean and Central America.
Many surveys conducted in India over the years indicate that millions of Indians want to leave India to settle abroad. A quick Google search for "Escape from India" produces nearly 100 million results. Many Indians cite lack of opportunity, poverty and various forms of discrimination as the reasons for wanting to leave India.
The number of unauthorized immigrants born in India grew by about 130,000 from 2009 to 2014, to an estimated 500,000. Many unauthorized immigrants from these nations arrived with legal status and overstayed their visas, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said recently that his agency is “doubling down” on preventing immigrants from Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world from crossing illegally at the southwest border, according to the Pew Research Report.
From 2009 to 2014, Pew estimates that the number of undocumented Indian immigrants in the U.S. exploded by 43% to a total of around 500,000. During the same period, the number of unauthorized Mexicans fell 8% to 5.85 million, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Looking at the total arrivals including legal and illegal immigrants, India and China are each sending more people to the United States in recent years than any other country.
In 2014 about 136,000 people came to the U.S. from India, about 128,000 from China and about 123,000 from Mexico, census figures show. As recently as 2005, Mexico sent more than 10 times as many people to the U.S. as China, and more than six times as many as India, according to the WSJ story.
Will Donald Trump and his fellow anti-immigration campaigners take note of the changing picture of illegal immigration into the United States? Will they stop bashing Mexicans and Muslims?
Are Pakistanis willing to fight for their country if attacked by India? To answer this question, let's look at a 2015 survey by WIN/Gallup International that asked people in 64 countries if they would be willing to fight for their country.
Pakistan's Willingness to Fight:
The Gallup survey found 89% of Pakistanis answered in the affirmative, a much higher percentage than the world average of 61%. By contrast, it showed 75% of Indians ready to fight for their country. The results ranked Pakistan 3rd and India 10th among 64 countries surveyed.
Only 11% of the respondents in Japan, the only nation to have suffered the atomic bombing of its two major cities in the second world war, said they are willing to fight for their country. Though higher than Japan, most Europeans who have seen the horrors of wars are among the least willing to fight for their countries.
There has been a lot of bellicose rhetoric coming out from the Hindu Nationalist government and its compliant Indian media to "teach Pakistan a lesson". It's a clear indication that they continue to suffer from disease described by Congress leader Sashi Tharoor as "India's Israel envy".
If Modi's India takes leave of its senses and decides to launch strikes against Pakistan, the Indian people could suffer the same horrible fate that fell upon the residents of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
There should be no doubt in New Delhi that Pakistan will respond forcefully to any provocation against it. Pakistan will not hesitate to escalate if Modi's India persists in its war path.
India's Israel envy is reinforced by the Hindu Nationalists over-estimating their country's strength while under-estimating Pakistan's. It's aided by India's western allies' belief that Pakistan can not fight a conventional war with india and its only option to defend itself would be to quickly escalate the conflict into a full scale nuclear war.
Indian MP Mani Shankar Aiyar has summed up India's war rhetoric against Pakistan in a recent Op Ed as follows:
(Indian Defense Minister) Arun Jaitley thumps his chest and proclaims that we have given the Pakis a "jaw-breaking reply" (munh tod jawab). Oh yeah? The Pakistanis are still there - with their jaw quite intact and a nuclear arsenal nestling in their pockets. (Indian Home Minister) Rajnath Singh adds that the Pakis had best understand that "a new era has dawned". How? Is retaliatory fire a BJP innovation? Or is it that we have we ceased being peace-loving and become a war-mongering nation? And (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi thunders that his guns will do the talking (boli nahin, goli). Yes - and for how long?
India's Delusions:
Indians, particularly Hindu Nationalists, have become victims of their own hype as illustrated by Times of India's US correspondent who checked into the veracity of claimed achievements of Indians in America and found such claims to be highly exaggerated: "On Monday, the Indian government itself consecrated the oft-circulated fiction as fact in Parliament, possibly laying itself open to a breach of privilege. By relaying to Rajya Sabha members (as reported in The Times of India) a host of unsubstantiated and inflated figures about Indian professionals in US, the government also made a laughing stock of itself." The Times of India's Chidanand Rajghatta ended up debunking all of the inflated claims about the number of Indian physicians, NASA scientists and Microsoft engineers in America.
Similarly, a US GAO investigation found that India's IT exports to the United States are exaggerated by as much as 20 times. The biggest source of discrepancy that GAO found had to do with India including temporary workers' salaries in the United States. India continuously and cumulatively adds all the earnings of its migrants to US in its software exports. If 50,000 Indians migrate on H1B visas each year, and they each earn $50,000 a year, that's a $2.5 billion addition to their exports each year. Cumulatively over 10 years, this would be $25 billion in exports year after year and growing.
Since the end of the Cold War, the West has been hyping India's economic growth to persuade the developing world that democracy and capitalism offer a superior alternative to rapid development through state guided capitalism under an authoritarian regime---a system that has worked well in Asia for countries like the Asian Tigers and China. This has further fooled Hindu Nationalists into accepting such hype as real. It ignores the basic fact that India is home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterates. It also discounts the reality that Indian kids rank near the bottom on international assessment tests like PISA and TIMSS due to the poor quality of education they receive. The hype has emboldened many Indians, including the BJP leadership, to push neighbors around.
Pakistan has so far not responded to the Indian rhetoric in kind. It might create an impression that Pakistan is weak and unable to respond to such threats with its conventional force. So let's examine the reality.
Ground War:
In the event of a ground war, Pakistan will most likely follow its "offensive defense" doctrine with its two strike corps pushing deep inside Indian territory. Though Indian military has significant numerical advantage, Pakistan's armor is as strong, if not stronger, than the Indian armor.
Before embarking on further offensive, gains shall be consolidated. Pakistan is also as strong, if not stronger, in terms of ballistic and cruise missiles inventory and capability, putting all of India within its range. These missiles are capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.
In 1990 the Central Corps of Reserves was created to fight in the desert sectors, where enemy land offensives are expected. These dual capable formations trained for offensive and holding actions are fully mechanized.
The Pakistan Army has ten Corps including the newly formed Strategic Corps. The Army has twenty-six divisions (eight less than India). Two more divisions were raised as Corps reserves for V and XXXI Corps. The Army has two armored divisions, and ten independent armored brigades. Presently one hundred thousand troops are stationed on the Pak-Afghan border to fight terror.
The Special Service Group – SSG - comprises two airborne Brigades, i.e. six battalions. Pakistan Army has 360 helicopters, over two thousand heavy guns, and 3000 APC’s. Its main anti-tank weapons are Tow, Tow Mk II, Bakter Shiken and FGM 148 ATGM. The Army Air Defense Command has S.A- 7 Grail, General Dynamics FIM-92 Stinger, GD FIM Red Eye, and ANZA Mk-I, Mk-II, Mk-III and HQ 2 B surface to air missiles. Radar controlled Oerlikon is the standard Ack Ack weapon system.
The ballistic missile inventory of the Army is substantial. It comprises intermediate range Ghauri III and Shaheen III; medium range Ghauri I and II and Shaheen II, and short range tactical Hatf I- B, Abdali, Ghaznavi, Nasr, Shaheen I and M -11 missiles. All the ballistic missiles can carry nuclear warheads....some can carry multiple warheads. Nuclear and conventional weapon capable Babur Cruise missile is the new addition to Pakistan’s strategic weapon inventory. It has stealth features to evade radar to penetrate India's air air-space to hit targets. The number of ballistic missiles and warheads are almost the same as those of India. So there is a parity in nuclear weapons, which is a deterrent.
Tactical missile which can be tipped with miniaturized nuclear warhead is the latest addition to Pakistan's arsenal. It's a battlefield weapon designed to destroy enemy troop concentrations poised against Pakistan.
Air War:
Pakistan has about 900 aircraft compared to India's 1800, giving India 2:1 numerical advantage over Pakistan. India's biggest advantage is in transport aircraft (700 vs 230) while Pakistan has some numerical advantage in two areas: Airborne radars (9 vs 3) and attack helicopters (48 vs 20).
Pakistan Air Force has over 100 upgraded F-16s and 200 rebuilt Mirage- 3's (for night air defense) and Mirage-5's for the strike role. They can carry nuclear weapons. They have been upgraded with new weapon systems, radars, and avionics. Additionally, the PAF 150 F-7's including 55 latest F-7 PG’s. Manufacture of 150 JF 17 Thunder fighters (jointly designed) is underway at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra. The JF-17 Thunder is a 4th generation fly by wire multi-role fighter aircraft. Eight are already in PAF service. An order has been placed with China for the purchase of 36 JF-10, a Mach 2.3 -5th generation multi-role fighter, comparable in performance to the Su-30 Mk-1 with the Indian Air Force.
In spite of Indian Air Force's numerical superiority since independence in 1947, Pakistan Air Force has performed well against it in several wars. The PAF pilots have always been among the best trained in the world.
Complimenting the Pakistan Air Force pilots, the legendary US Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager who broke the sound barrier, wrote in his biography "The Right Stuff": "This Air Force (the PAF), is second to none". He continued: "The (1971) air war lasted two weeks and the Pakistanis scored a
three-to-one kill ratio, knocking out 102 Russian-made Indian jets and losing thirty-four airplanes of their own. I'm certain about the figures because I went out several times a day in a chopper and counted the wrecks below." "They were really good, aggressive dogfighters and proficient in gunnery and air combat tactics. I was damned impressed. Those guys just lived and breathed flying. "
In 1965, Roy Meloni of the ABC reported: "Pakistan claims to have destroyed something like 1/3rd the Indian Air Force, and foreign observers, who are in a position to know say that Pakistani pilots have claimed even higher kills than this; but the Pakistani Air Force are being scrupulously honest in evaluating these claims. They are crediting Pakistan Air Force only those killings that can be checked from other sources."
Of the three branches of the military, India's advantage over Pakistan is the greatest in naval strength. Pakistan has just 84 sea-going vessels of various kinds versus India's 184.
Pakistan Navy can still inflict substantial damage on the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy has 17 submarines. Pakistan Navy has ten, some are brand new and equipped with AIP. Indian Navy has 28 war ships, Pakistan Navy has eleven.
As seen in the past wars, India will attempt a naval blockade of Pakistan. Here's how MIT's Christopher Clary discusses in his doctoral thesis the Indian Navy's ability to repeat a blockade of Pakistan again:
"Most analyses do not account adequately for how difficult it would be for the (Indian) navy to have a substantial impact in a short period of time. Establishing even a partial blockade takes time, and it takes even more time for that blockade to cause shortages on land that are noticeable. As the British strategist Julian Corbett noted in 1911, "it is almost impossible that a war can be decided by naval action alone. Unaided, naval pressure can only work by a process of exhaustion. Its effects must always be slow…. ". Meanwhile, over the last decade, Pakistan has increased its ability to resist a blockade. In addition to the main commercial port of Karachi, Pakistan has opened up new ports further west in Ormara and Gwadar and built road infrastructure to distribute goods from those ports to Pakistan's heartland. To close off these ports to neutral shipping could prove particularly difficult since Gwadar and the edge of Pakistani waters are very close to the Gulf of Oman, host to the international shipping lanes for vessels exiting the Persian Gulf. A loose blockade far from shore would minimize risks from Pakistan's land-based countermeasures but also increase risks of creating a political incident with neutral vessels."
Summary:
The chances of India prevailing over Pakistan in a conventional war now are very remote at best. Any advantage that India seeks over Pakistan would require it to pay a very heavy price in terms of massive destruction of India's industry, economy and infrastructure that would set India back many decades.
In the event that the India-Pakistan war spirals out of control and escalates into a full-scale nuclear confrontation, the entire region, including China, would suffer irreparable damage. Even a limited nuclear exchange would devastate food production around the world, according to International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, as reported in the media. It would set off a global famine that could kill two billion people and effectively end human civilization as we know it.
I hope that better sense will prevail in New Delhi and India's BJP government will desists from any military adventurism against Pakistan. The consequences of any miscalculation by Narendra Modi will be horrible, not just for both the countries, but the entire humanity.
Here's a video discussion on this and other current topics:
"A new generation of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India's illegal occupation - demanding freedom from occupation. Burhan Wani, the young leader murdered by Indian forces, has emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and old, men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their cause, and a hunger for freedom in their hearts." Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
In an 18 minute speech to 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly today, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan condemned India's brutal military occupation of Kashmir and demanded a swift end to it.
Mr. Sharif called for a UN-sponsored plebiscite under multiple UN Security Council resolutions to let the Kashmiris decide their own future. He said Pakistan is always ready for an unconditional dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding disputes including the core issue of Kashmir.
In an apparent reference to India's proxy war against Pakistan, the Prime Minister said, " We will not allow externally sponsored terrorism and threats of destabilization to cause turbulence in Pakistan."
In his speech, The Prime Minister asked for an independent inquiry into the continuing extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces. He said Pakistan is the principal victim of terrorism in South Asia region. He said his country seeks peace, not war or an arms race with its neighbor to the east.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan is "ready for talks (with India) to agree on a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty". He said Pakistan meets all the requirements for membership of the Nuclear Supplies Group.
Here's the full text of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech:
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
We congratulate Mr. Peter Thomson on his election as President of the 71st Session of the
General Assembly.
We agree that implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda
should be the focus of this Session.
We also pay tribute to Mr. Mogens Lykketoft for his capable stewardship of the 70th Session
Mr. President,
Today, three decades after the end of the Cold War, our multipolar world is more free and
vibrant, yet still chaotic and turbulent; more interdependent, but more unequal; more prosperous,
yet still afflicted with poverty.
We see spectacular progress, but also unprecedented human suffering.
The world is at a historic inflection point.
The international order established after the Second World War is passing away, but a new order
has yet to emerge.
Competition between the major powers is becoming more confrontational. This can pose serious
threats to peace across Asia.
A new Cold War threatens to engulf Europe. The momentum there towards "greater union" has
already reversed, Baricades and walls are going up, especially against the tide of misery flowing
out of a turbulent Middle East, In many countries, intolerance has revived the ghosts of
xenophobia and Islamophobia.
Turmoil is intensiffing in the Middle East, International efforts to defeat Daesh are therefore
urgent. For this, it is essential to reconcile the divergent objectives and priorities of regional and
external powers.
Peace cannot be built when injustice prevails. The long festering tragedy of Palestine demands
determined action by the international community
Mr. President,
After decades of strong growth, the world economy has reached a plateau.
Despite this adverse international economic environment, my government has, in three short
years, moved the country towards robust growth.
We have fully integrated the 2030 Development Agenda into our own economic and social
strategy.
This rests on our conviction that people are the true wealth of our nation and that it is human
development, which will determine our future destiny.
Mr. President,
Our priority goal of economic development requires internal peace and stability. My country has
been the principal victim of terrorism including that supported, sponsored and financed from
abroad.
We will not allow externally sponsored terrorism and threats of destabilization to cause
turbulence in Pakistan.
Tens of thousands of our citizens and thousands of our security personnel have been killed or
injured in terrorist attacks.
This has only reinforced our resolve to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. Our comprehensive
strategy of law enforcement and targeted military operations has produced remarkable results and
enabled Pakistan to turn the tide against terrorism.
Pakistan's Zarb-e-Azb Operation is the largest, most robust and most successful anti-terrorism
campaign anywhere in the world, deploying 200,000 of our security forces.
Our comprehensive National Action Plan has the complete endorsement of our people and our
Parliament as well as our security forces, all of whom have made heroic sacrifices to defeat
terrorism.
Mr. President,
Terrorism, however, is now a global phenomenon, which must be addressed comprehensively and
in all its forms, including State terrorism.
The international community must coordinate its efforts to accomplish this. These efforts should
be taken collectively and not unilaterally by the passage of any laws with extra-territorial
application targeted against certain countries.
We will not win the fight against terrorism and violent extremism so long as we do not address
their root causes. These lie in poverty and ignorance, political and social injustice and oppression,
foreign intervention and occupation and denial of the legitimate rights of peoples and nations,
especially the right to self-determination.
Until these underlying causes are addressed, it will be difficult to counter the twisted narrative of
violent extremists and terrorists.
Mr. President,
After 15 years of the current war in Afghanistan, the international community agrees that the only
road to a lasting peace in that country is through a dialogue between the Government in Kabul
and the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan has long proposed this as the most viable course to end decades of conflict and suffering
in Afghanistan.
Based on this belief in a negotiated peace, and in response to requests from President Ashraf
Ghani, we have been facilitating the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan.
There have been setbacks. That, however, is not a sufficient reason to abandon the path of peace
and rely on the military option, which has failed, for the past decade and a half, to stabilize
Afghanistan.
Progress will be assured only when the Afghan parties themselves conclude that there is no
military solution to the Afghan war, and work assiduously, through a meaningful dialogue
process, for achieving reconciliation and peace at home.
Mr. President,
Over three and a half decades of conflict and chaos in Afghanistan has had grave security and
economic consequences for Pakistan. Almost three million Afghan refugees, to whom we opened
our homes and hearts, remain in Pakistan.
We hope to see them return to Afghanistan, voluntarily and with dignity
Until they do, the international community must shoulder its responsibilities to sustain them.
Mr. President,
Confrontation should not be our destiny in South Asia. Pakistan wants peace with India, I have
gone the extra mile to achieve this, repeatedly offering a dialogue to address all outstanding
issues.
But India has posed unacceptable preconditions to engage in a dialogue. Let us be clear: talks are
no favor to Pakistan. Talks are in the interest of both countries. They are essential to resolve our
differences, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and to avert the danger of any escalation.
Mr. President,
Peace and normalization between Pakistan and India cannot be achieved without a resolution of
the Kashmir dispute. This is an objective evaluation, not a partisan position.
Our predictions have now been confirmed by events. A new generation of Kashmiris has risen
spontaneously against India's illegal occupation - demanding freedom from occupation. Burhan
Wani, the young leader murdered by Indian forces, has emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and old,
men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their cause, and a hunger
for freedom in their hearts.
Mr. President,
This indigenous uprising of the Kashmiris has been met, as usual, with brutal repression by
India's occupation force of over half a million soldiers. Over a hundred Kashmiris have been
killed, hundreds, including children and infants, blinded by shotgun pellets and over six thousand
unarmed civilians injured over the past two months.
These Indian brutalities are well documented. I would like to inform the General Assembly that
Pakistan will share with the Secretary General a dossier containing detailed information and
evidence of the gross and systematic violations of human rights committed by Indian forces in
occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
These brutalities will not suppress the spirit of the Kashmiris; it will only intensiff their anger and
fotlify their determination to see India end its occupation of Kashmir. From Srinagar to Sopore,
the men, women and children come out each day, def,ring curfew, to demand freedom.
Mr. President,
Pakistan fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination, as promised to
them by several Security Council resolutions. Their struggle is a legitimate one for liberation
from alien occupation.
International law and the declarations of the United Nations on Self Determination, give the
Kashmiri people the right to struggle for their freedom. Every year, the General Assembly
unanimously adopts the resolution, which reaffirms "the right of all people's to self-determination"
and calls on the states concerned to immediately end their occupation and "all acts
of repression."
Mr. President,
On behalf of the Kashmiri people; on behalf of the mothers, wives, sisters, and fathers of the
innocent Kashmiri children, women and men who have been killed, blinded and injured; on
behalf of the Pakistani nation, I demand an independent inquiry into the extra-judicial killings,
and a IJN fact finding mission to investigate brutalities perpetrated by the Indian occupying
forces, so that those guilty of these atrocities are punished.
We demand the immediate release of all Kashmiri political prisoners; an end to the curfew;
freedom for the Kashmiris to demonstrate peacefully; urgent medical help for the injured;
abrogation of India's draconian 'laws'; and removal of the foreign travel ban on Kashmiri
leaders.
Mr. President,
The Security Council has called for the exercise of the right to self- determination by the people
of Jammu and Kashmir through a free and fair plebiscite held under IIN auspices. The people of
Kashmir have waited 70 years for implementation of this promise. The Security Council must
honour its commitments by implementing its own decisions. This General Assembly must demand that India deliver on the commitments its leaders solemnly made on many occasions
To this end, steps should be taken by the United Nations to de-militarize Jammu and Kashmir and
undertake consultations with India, Pakistan and the true representatives of the Kashmiri people
to implement the resolutions of the Security Council. In this context, we welcome the offer of
good offices by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. We will also open consultations with members
of the Security Council to explore the modalities for implementation of the Security Council
resolutions on Kashmir.
Mr. President,
The international community ignores the danger of rising tensions in South Asia, at its own peril.
For its part, Pakistan is committed to the establishment of strategic stability in the region. It
neither wants, nor is it engaged in an arms race with India.
But we cannot ignore our neighbor's unprecedented arms build up and will take whatever
measures are necessary to maintain credible deterrence.
We have consistently urged the conclusion of bilateral arms control and disarmament measures
between Pakistan and India to prevent conflict and avoid wasteful military expenditures.
We are open to discussing all measures of restraint and responsibility with India, in any forum or
format and without any conditions. We are ready for talks to agree on a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty.
Today, from this rostrum, I would also like to reiterate our offer to India to enter into a serious
and sustained dialogue for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, especially Jammu
and Kashmir.
Mr. President,
As a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan will continue to cooperate with all international
efforts that seek to promote fair and equitable solutions to disarmament and non-proliferation
challenges.
We have introduced 'state of the aft' measures to strengthen the safety and security of our nuclear
materials and facilities. We have adopted a comprehensive export control regime that is fully
consistent with international standards.
Judged on the basis of objective criteria, and without discrimination, Pakistan is fully eligible for
membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
Mr. President,
In our turbulent and interdependent world, the United Nations remains an indispensable
Organization to restore order and ensure global peace, stability and prosperity. Its principles
remain the crucial pillars of international legality, the guide for the conduct of Member States and
the guarantor of the legitimate rights of all nations and peoples.
The IIN must regain its credibility as the central instrument for the promotion of peace, prosperity
and liberty.
To that end, it should become more representative, transparent and accountable. A comprehensive
and democratic reform of the Security Council, which Pakistan supports, should enhance its
relevance and representation, Creating new centers of privilege will do the opposite.
Mr. President,
Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the UN is well established. We have played a pioneering
and consistent role in UN Peacekeeping.
Despite our own security requirements, we will remain one of world's largest troop contributing
countries and maintain our record of success in multiple UN peacekeeping operations.
Mr. President,
Pakistan has a vital stake in ending conflicts, fostering peace, fighting terorism, strengthening
democracy, promoting human rights, generating global growth and overcoming the challenges of
environmental degradation. We can achieve these goals, and create a new and peaceful world
order, only through the United Nations and by strict adherence to the principles of its Charter.
I thank you, Mr. President.
Here's a video of Prime Minister Sharif's UNGA speech:
The essence of Kashmir issue today is not Uri or Pathankot or similar other alleged "militant attacks"; it is India's brutal military occupation force of 700,000 heavily-armed Indian soldiers being resisted by over 7 million Kashmiris. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.
Armed Forces Special Powers Act:
India rules Kashmir using Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the same law that was created and used by the British colonial power to try and crush Gandhi's Quit India movement,
After independence in 1947, the Indian government has made extensive use of the same colonial-era British law to crush legitimate demands for freedom by the peoples of Assam, Manipur, Kashmir and other regions. The Act has now been in force in Kashmir for 26 years.
While Indian government claims Kashmir as an integral part of India, it undermines its own claim by denying fundamental rights to Kashmiris, the rights that are granted by the Indian constitution to all Indian citizens.
Basic Rights Denied:
Not only is the Indian government denying the right of self-determination granted to Kashmiris by multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, New Delhi is also reneging on the commitments made by India's founder and first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Kashmiris and the international community.
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's Pledge
India is deploying 700,000 troops with extraordinary powers to detain, torture, blind, injure and kill any Kashmiri citizen with impunity under Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act 1990.
The extensive use pellet guns by Indian soldiers has blinded hundreds of young men and women, even children, during the current wave of mass protests.
Prior to casualties this latest round of protests, there have tens of thousands of civilians killed and hundreds of thousands injured by Indian military in Kashmir. Thousands of bodies have been found in mass graves in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts in Kashmir, according to The Hindu.
Kashmir Mass Graves:
Dr. Angana Chatterji, a professor of cultural and social anthropology at California Centre for Integral Studies who uncovered the mass graves, reported as follows: “Of the 2700 graves, 2,373 (87.9 percent) were unnamed. 154 graves contained two bodies each and 23 contained more than two cadavers. Within these 23 graves, the number of bodies ranged from 3 to 17."
Scholars, she said, refer to mass graves as resulting from Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, or Genocide. “If the intent of a mass grave is to execute death with impunity, with intent to kill more than one, and to forge an unremitting representation of death, then, to that extent, the graves in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara are part of a collective burial by India’s military and paramilitary, creating a landscape of ‘mass burial.’
Dr. Chatterji said post-death, the bodies of the victims were routinely handled by military and paramilitary personnel, including the local police. She said that the bodies were then brought to “secret graveyards” primarily by personnel of the State Police.
The International Peoples' Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice, an independent group headed by Dr. Chatterji, alleged that the violence and militarization in Kashmir, between 1989-2009, have resulted in over 70,000 deaths, including through extrajudicial or “fake encounter” executions, custodial brutality, and other means.
“In the enduring conflict, 6, 67,000 military and paramilitary personnel continue to act with impunity to regulate movement, law, and order across Kashmir,” she added.
Indian University Student Protest:
Many enlightened Indians like the Jawaharlal Nehru University students see the brutality and futility of Indian military occupation of Kashmir. At protests earlier this year, many chanted slogans in favor of Azadi for Kashmiris. "Geelani bole azaadi, Afzal bole azaadi, jo tum na doge azaadi, toh chheen ke lenge azadi! (Geelani and Afzal demanded freedom. If freedom is denied, we will snatch it!)". New Generation in Revolt:
During the 26 years of Kashmir under Armed Forces Special Powers Act, an entire new generation of Kashmiris has grown up. This generation, represented by tech-savvy youngsters like Burhan Wani, has seen nothing but repression and violence committed by the Indian military against their people. They are more determined than ever to defy and defeat the illegal and immoral military occupation of their land by India.
Summary:
The essence of Kashmir issue today is not Uri or Pathankot or similar other alleged "militant attacks"; it is India's brutal occupation of Kashmir by 700,000 heavily-armed Indian soldiers being resisted by over 10 million Kashmiris. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.
The use of brute force by 700,000 Indian troops over the last 26 years to crush the legitimate aspirations of millions of Kashmiris is backfiring. The more Kashmiris Indian military detains, tortures, injures, blinds and kills under Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the less sustainable is its hold on the territory. It is only a matter of time before India is forced to withdraw its troops and agree to let Kashmiris decide their own fate.
Here's Human rights activist Ajit Sahi exposing Modi's atrocities in Kashmir at Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Sahi says 6 people a day being killed in extrajudicial killings.
Pakistan has emerged as the country with the highest percentage of Highly Cited Papers compared with the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in the last 10 years, according to Thomson Reuters. Pakistan has doe so despite the fact that its "R&D environment faced substantial economic challenges".
In a report titled "Pakistan: Another BRIC in the Wall", author Lulian Herciu says that Pakistan’s scientific productivity has quadrupled, from approximately 2,000 articles per year in 2006 to more than 9,000 articles in 2015. During this time, the number of Highly Cited Papers featuring Pakistan-based authors increased tenfold, from 9 articles in 2006 to 98 in 2015.
The author asserts that his report provides comparisons between Pakistan and BRIC nations taking a look at productivity and leveraging contextual indicators. His analysis points to the fact that Pakistan can be benchmarked with emerging and dynamic countries such as those in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) group.
The Thomson Reuters report has found that, in 2012, "Pakistan's normalized Citation Impact was higher than that of all of the BRIC nations".
CERN Membership:
In 2014, Pakistan became the first Asian country and only the third in the world after Turkey and Serbia to be honored with CERN's associate membership. The status of associate member is a step before full membership. As an associate member, Pakistan is entitled to attend open and restricted sessions of the organization.
College and University Enrollment:
There are over 3 million students enrolled in grades 13 through 16 in Pakistan's 1,086 degree colleges and 161 universities, according to Pakistan Higher Education Commission report for 2013-14. The 3 million enrollment is 15% of the 20 million Pakistanis in the eligible age group of 18-24 years. In addition, there are over 255,000 Pakistanis enrolled in vocational training schools, according to Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA).
Graduation Day at NED Engineering University For 1300 Graduates in 2013
Pakistani universities have been producing over half a million graduates, including over 10,000 IT graduates, every year since 2010, according to HEC data. The number of university graduates in Pakistan increased from 380,773 in 2005-6 to 493,993 in 2008-09. This figure is growing with rising enrollment and contributing to Pakistan's growing human capital.
Higher education in Pakistan has come a long way since its independence in 1947 when there was only one university, the University of Punjab. By 1997, the number of universities had risen to 35, of which 3 were federally administered and 22 were under the provincial governments, with a combined enrollment of 71,819 students. A big spending boost by President Pervez Musharraf helped establish 51 new universities and awarding institutions during 2002-2008. This helped triple university enrollment from 135,000 in 2003 to about 400,000 in 2008, according to Dr. Ata ur Rehman who led the charge for expanding higher education during Musharraf years. There are 161 universities with 1.5 million students enrolled in Pakistan as of 2014.
R&D Investment:
Rise of research and publications at Pakistani universities began during Musharraf years when the annual budget for higher education increased from only Rs 500 million in 2000 to Rs 28 billion in 2008, to lay the foundations of the development of a strong knowledge economy, according to former education minister Dr. Ata ur Rehman. Student enrollment in universities increased from 270,000 to 900,000 and the number of universities and degree awarding institutions increased from 57 in 2000 to 137 by 2008. Government R&D spending jumped seven-fold as percentage of GDP from 0.1% of GDP in 1999 to 0.7% of GDP in 2007. It has since declined as percentage of GDP.
Summary:
Pakistani scientists and researchers are continuing to produced highly cited research in spite of serious economic and security challenges. Enrollment in higher education is rising and giving a boost to academic research. With better policy focus and more investment in higher education, Pakistan can make an even greater impact with its young demographics.
Pakistan's fiscal year 2015-16 saw production of motorcycles soar to a new high of over 2 million units. This represents a 16.5% surge from last year. At the same time, passenger cars and light trucks sales rose to over 200,000 in fiscal 2016, a 20% jump over the same period last year.
Motorcycle Sales:
Rising motorcycle sales in Asia's developing nations like Pakistan are seen as a barometer of expanding middle class. It is, in part, attributed to rising incomes and availability of bank financing at historic low interest rates in the country.
As many as 2,071,123 motorcycles were manufactured during July-June (2015-16) compared to 1,777,251 units during July-June (2014-15), according to the latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and reported by Pakistani media.
Pakistan is the World's Sixth Largest Motorcycle Market
Car Sales:
In addition to the double digit increase in motorcycle sales, Pakistan also experienced 20% jump in sales of passengers cars, light commercial vehicles (LCVs), vans and jeeps. The total sales of local vehicles increased by 21% to 216,568 as compared to 179,953 units sold in FY15, according to industry data.
Auto Parts Industry:
Rising auto and motorcycle sales are helping boost Pakistan's auto parts industry as well. “We are getting orders and the pace is increasing,” said Sultan and Kamil International CEO Faisal Mahmood speaking to Pakistani media on the sidelines of the 12th Pakistan Auto Show 2016 held at the Lahore International Expo Centre. Mahmood’s company makes more than 350 automotive parts and exports to all major automobile markets in the world.
Other Growth Industries:
Among other industries seeing significant growth are pharmaceuticals (6.54%), cement (17.01%), chemicals (8.13%), non metallic mineral products (10.02%), fertilizers (13.81%), leather products (7.76%) and rubber products (7.16%), according to media reports.
“Efforts to duck or refuse legitimate scrutiny raise an obvious question: What, precisely, are you hiding from us?....States may shut my office out, but they will not shut us up. Neither will they blind us.” Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the high commissioner for human rights at the United Nations, to India, as quoted by New York Times.
Indian Soldiers Assaulting Kashmiri Protesters Raising Pakistani Flag
Why is India refusing entry to UN Human Rights team in Indian-Occupied Kashmir? What is the Modi government hiding? Let's try and understand the answers to these question.
Armed Forces Special Powers Act:
When India's founding father Mohandas Gandhi started "Quit India" movement to seek India's independence from Britain, the colonial rulers of British India responded by imposing "The Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance of 1942" on August 15, 1942.
After independence in 1947, the Indian government has made extensive use of the same colonial-era British law to crush legitimate demands for freedom by the peoples of Assam, Manipur, Kashmir and other regions. The Act has now been in force in Kashmir for 26 years.
While Indian government claims Kashmir as an integral part of India, it undermines its own claim by denying fundamental rights to Kashmiris, the rights that are granted by the Indian constitution to all Indian citizens.
Basic Rights Denied:
Not only is the Indian government denying the right of self-determination granted to Kashmiris by multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, New Delhi is also reneging on the commitments made by India's founder and first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Kashmiris and the international community.
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's Pledge
India is deploying 700,000 troops with extraordinary powers to detain, torture, blind, injure and kill any Kashmiri citizen with impunity under Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act 1990.
The extensive use pellet guns by Indian soldiers has blinded hundreds of young men and women, even children, during the current wave of mass protests.
Prior to casualties this latest round of protests, there have tens of thousands of civilians killed and hundreds of thousands injured by Indian military in Kashmir. Thousands of bodies have been found in mass graves in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts in Kashmir, according to The Hindu.
Kashmir Mass Graves:
Dr. Angana Chatterji, a professor of cultural and social anthropology at California Centre for Integral Studies who uncovered the mass graves, reported as follows: “Of the 2700 graves, 2,373 (87.9 percent) were unnamed. 154 graves contained two bodies each and 23 contained more than two cadavers. Within these 23 graves, the number of bodies ranged from 3 to 17."
Scholars, she said, refer to mass graves as resulting from Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, or Genocide. “If the intent of a mass grave is to execute death with impunity, with intent to kill more than one, and to forge an unremitting representation of death, then, to that extent, the graves in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara are part of a collective burial by India’s military and paramilitary, creating a landscape of ‘mass burial.’
Dr. Chatterji said post-death, the bodies of the victims were routinely handled by military and paramilitary personnel, including the local police. She said that the bodies were then brought to “secret graveyards” primarily by personnel of the State Police.
The International Peoples' Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice, an independent group headed by Dr. Chatterji, alleged that the violence and militarization in Kashmir, between 1989-2009, have resulted in over 70,000 deaths, including through extrajudicial or “fake encounter” executions, custodial brutality, and other means.
“In the enduring conflict, 6, 67,000 military and paramilitary personnel continue to act with impunity to regulate movement, law, and order across Kashmir,” she added.
Indian University Student Protest:
Many enlightened Indians like the Jawaharlal Nehru University students see the brutality and futility of Indian military occupation of Kashmir. At protests earlier this year, many chanted slogans in favor of Azadi for Kashmiris. "Geelani bole azaadi, Afzal bole azaadi, jo tum na doge azaadi, toh chheen ke lenge azadi! (Geelani and Afzal demanded freedom. If freedom is denied, we will snatch it!)". New Generation in Revolt:
During the 26 years of Kashmir under Armed Forces Special Powers Act, an entire new generation of Kashmiris has grown up. This generation, represented by tech-savvy youngsters like Burhan Wani, has seen nothing but repression and violence committed by the Indian military against their people. They are more determined than ever to defy and defeat the illegal and immoral military occupation of their land by India.
Summary:
The use of brute force by 700,000 Indian troops over the last 26 years to crush the legitimate aspirations of millions of Kashmiris is backfiring. The more Kashmiris Indian military detains, tortures, injures, blinds and kills under Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the less sustainable is its hold on the territory. It is only a matter of time before India is forced to withdraw its troops and agree to let Kashmiris decide their own fate.