PAKISTAN AT 75

MOUNTING CHALLENGES, DWINDLING OPPORTUNITIES

AKD

SERVICES
Contents
AUGUST 2022 22
FEATURES

10
Special Message from Dr. Arif Alvi, President Islamic
Republic of Pakistan

11
Special Message from H.E. Nong Rong, Ambassador of
the People’s Republic of China

12
Special Message from H.E. Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi,
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates

13
Special Message from Yves Manville,
Deputy Chief of Mission, France

14
GVS Snapshot

22
Adversity into Opportunity: Pakistan’s 75th
Anniversary
Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani
On the occasion of Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, Chief Secretary
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) writes about the issues facing the area and
initiatives being taken for the development of GB in various domains
including women empowerment, climate change, economy and
political integration in order to create a prosperous and productive
region.

26
Pakistan: The Ungovernable Nation
Lt. Gen. (r) Tariq Khan

52
Ex-head of the Pakistan Army's central command points out that it is
impossible to tell how fast our society is collapsing because history
has been riddled with disinformation, and reality is composed of
half-fictions and full of paranoid conspiracy theories. He warns that
if nothing changes in how things are being done now, then Pakistan’s
envisaged collapse is not only predictable but highly inevitable.
30
his brother, together both have almost single
handedly transformed the real estate sector of
Caught in the Debt Trap Pakistan.
Sultan Ali Allana

46
Financial experts throughout the country
are taking turns giving complex solutions to
solve the country’s issues and in particular
to free it from the debt trap that has engulfed
the country for decades. Chairman HBL
highlights the need to go back to basics
and presents a charter for the nation, which
he terms Solution 101 — 'earn more and
borrow less.'
32
Beating the Odds to Raise the
Pakistani Flag on the Highest of
Places
Saad Munawar
Mountaineer, world record holder and author
of two books on mountaineering discusses
the evolution of this sport in the country
over the last 75 years. He reflects upon the
challenges faced by local mountaineers and
how they have made their country proud
while pursuing their passion.
36
Financial Inclusion for
Entrepreneurship
Gohar Ejaz, Shahid Sattar & Eman Ahmed
Patron in Chief APTMA and Executive
Director APTMA highlight the issue
of financial inclusion in the country,
which serves as a major roadblock to
entrepreneurship and innovation. They note
52
Pakistan’s Sporting Achievements
in 75 Years
On the diamond jubilee of Pakistan’s
inception, GVS looks at the vibrant culture
of sports and its history in Pakistan, which
despite receiving little to low financial
investment, has never faced a dearth of
individual talent. The dominance shown by
Pakistani players in cricket, hockey, squash
and snooker speaks volumes about the resolve
and capacity of the people in the country.
56
Private Sector – A strong Support
in Finding Sustainable Solutions to
the Water Crisis
58
From a Punjabi Village to
Washington!
Editor Global Village Space sits down for
a talk with Dr. Asif Mahmood, a Pakistani-
American, and explores his journey as he
runs for US Congress, which has never had
representation from a Pakistani or someone
of Pakistani descent so far in its history. Dr.
Mahmood shares his experiences as he moved
from a small village in Punjab to the United
States and now standing as a candidate for the
US Congress.

30
that in Pakistan, penetration in the financial
64
sector is extremely low, and out of the total
adult population of Pakistan, the financially
excluded population makes up 53 percent, Rivers of Blood & Tears through
with only 2.4 percent of the population Books
having access to credit from formal financial
sources.
66
40 Rivers of Blood & Tears through
Banking Sector of Pakistan on Movies
75th Anniversary: A Snapshot

44
HBL ‘Bank with a Soul’ – Stands
Hand in Hand with its Employees

46
Zeeshan Ali Khan Exclusive

62
Interview
Dr. Moeed Pirzada sat down with
Zeeshan Ali Khan, a successful Pakistani
entrepreneur. He launched Zameen.com with
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Editorial

P
akistan, a predominantly Muslim nation of 225
million, faces mounting challenges at its 75th
anniversary. Most nations across the develop-
ing world can be described similarly. Howev-
er, in case of Pakistan its opportunities appear to be
shrinking – and country’s ruling elite, bureaucracies
and old fashioned industrial and corporate classes
do not inspire much confidence about their abilities
to meet the challenges.
Problems started from the genesis of the na-
tion in 1940’s. The founding political party, Mus-
lim League, had its roots in the fears and aspirations
of Muslims of central India and Bengal where they
faced challenges of socio-economic competition
from rising Hindu mercantile and professional classes.
These Muslim communities hoped for a political and
constitutional framework to safeguard their interests.
This might have worked but the toxic communal feelings
that developed between Muslims and Hindus after the 1937
elections took politics in the direction of separate mutually
exclusive identities. And the majoritarian religious identity of
RSS that took hold of India from 1980s onwards lends much
credence to the fears of Muslim league of 1930s. Failure of
Congress and League to resolve their political conflicts result-
ed in a rough, chaotic division of British India with at least a
million dead across the fields of Punjab, around 10 million mi-
grants moving in opposite directions and both new progenies represents the hopes of educated middle classes but is pitted
of British India locked into an existential conflict over Kash- against military establishment and is alienated from Wash-
mir – that should have been part of Pakistan given the broad- ington. Today country’s 65 percent population is less than 35
er principle of partition based on religious demography. This years of age, work force lacks the skills and meaningful jobs to
conflict and the insecurities it generated amongst Pakistanis support a competitive modern economy resulting in severe im-
is often cited as “the reason” for the new nation to become a balance between imports and exports. Country is water scarce,
“national security state” dominated by generals and military multiplying fears of food shortages. At age 75 Pakistan desper-
thinking towards political challenges. But the founding Mus- ately needs a competent political leadership that can give it a
lim League had other short comings that contributed. League’s direction to resolve its myriad internal and external challenges.
politics was shaped more by the fears of Hindu domination
and fighting Congress; it did not have any political or econom-
ic vision or road map for the new state. It also did not have any We hope you will share your feedback as ever.
roots or constituencies amongst the population of what was
then west-Pakistan. Political deficit was exploited by powerful
British trained civil and military bureaucracies, of west Paki-
stan, that took control of the new state creating fissures with Subscribe to our GVS News Youtube channel:
the politics of East Pakistan ultimately leading to the creation
of Bangladesh in 1971.
Under the charismatic leadership of Bhutto in 1970s it
was hoped that the truncated but geographically intact Pakistan
will find a new wholesome identity and political direction. But
the religious genie – encapsulated in the misleading slogan of
Nizam-e-Mustafa – destroyed the nascent democratic frame-
work, leading to another brutal military intervention and then
a devastating war in Afghanistan that has practically speaking
never ended. Pakistan’s military elite thrived and consolidated
their hold on power and their relations with the west exploiting
the insecurity in Afghanistan. Superficial democratic periods Najma Minhas
intervened in 1990s and later after 2008 but country has not Managing Editor
found any sustainable democratic direction. Political parties
– with the exception of PTI, MQM and JI – are all family dy- @MinhasNajma
nasties that look towards chunks of state they govern as private Editor@GlobalVillageSpace.com
limited companies. PTI, founded by former PM Imran Khan,
currently the largest party with support across three provinces
 Dr. Arif Alvi
President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
O
n the joyous occasion of the 75th anniversary of Pa-
kistan's Independence, I extend my heartiest felici-
tations to the entire nation. This day reminds us of
the innumerable sacrifices of our Founding Fathers
under the courageous leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad
Ali Jinnah. Today, we also reaffirm our resolve to uphold Pa-
kistan's ideology and make Pakistan an ideal modern Islamic
nation-state.
This year, we are also celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of
our independence and various ceremonies are being organized
across the country to mark this propitious occasion. The aim
of these events is to educate and create awareness among our
people, especially the Pakistani youth, about the significance of
national solidarity, Pakistan's ideology and the Freedom Move-
ment. I would like to commend the efforts of all stakeholders in
commemorating this historic moment.
On the occasion of this Diamond Jubilee, there is a dire
need to assess our successes and failures. In our 75 years of
history, we successfully overcame various challenges. We not
only emerged as a nuclear power but also defeated the menace
of terrorism. In the recent past, we successfully managed the
COVID-19 pandemic. On this historic day, we pay homage to
our military and security personnel who laid their lives for the
defense and security of our motherland. We also appreciate our
workers, laborers, women, the business community, minorities
and all institutions who have played their role in the devel-
opment and progress of our country. Today's Pakistan is also
facing economic, political and social challenges, but I strongly
believe that our nation will overcome these challenges with its
determination, patriotism, hard work, unity, discipline, mutual
harmony and solidarity.
While celebrating Independence Day, we should not for-
get our oppressed brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occu-
pied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as the Jammu and Kashmir
dispute is an incomplete agenda of the Freedom Movement and
the partition of the Indian sub-continent. India has been com-
mitting egregious human rights violations in IIOJK for decades
and it has been three years since India unilaterally revoked the
special legal status of IIOJK on August 5, 2019. I assure our
Kashmiri brethren that Pakistan will continue to extend all pos-
sible political, diplomatic and moral support to them in their
legitimate struggle for self-determination in accordance with
the UN Resolutions.
In the end, I urge the entire nation to remain steadfast and
work wholeheartedly for the development of our country. We
need to unite ourselves in order to tackle the social, economic
and security issues being faced by the country. Let us pledge
that we will not hesitate to render any sacrifice for the dignity,
greatness and glory of our beloved homeland. Insha'Allah!
 H.E. Nong Rong
Ambassador of People's Republic of China

O
n the occasion of the 75th year of the Independence of Pakistan, I would like to extend my
warmest congratulations to the Pakistani people. China and Pakistan are the most reliable
good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers and have forged a unique
all-weather strategic partnership. We are ready to work together with Pakistan to build a
closer China-Pakistan community of a shared future in the new era so as to bring more benefit for our
two countries and peoples. Azm-e-Aali Shaan, Shaad rehe Pakistan. Chin-Pak Dosti Zindabad.
 H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates
I
t is an honor for me to extend my warmest congratulations
to the brotherly people and government of the Islamic Re-
public of Pakistan on its 75th Independence anniversary. I
feel honored and very happy to share the joys of our broth-
ers.
We in the United Arab Emirates share the joys of the
brotherly nation as the two countries are celebrating the gold-
en jubilee of its deep-rooted affinity of historical and cultur-
al bounds, and both nations share the respect and pride in the
legendary of our leaders, the Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al
Nahyan and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
UAE and Pakistan enjoy a unique friendship that with-
stood various tests and the scope of our cooperation kept
expanding with the passage of time and now covers various
fields, as the leadership of both countries showed their keen
desire to give an impetus to the bilateral relations at all Polit-
ical, Economic and Social levels and extend these relations to
broader horizons.
I do believe that Pakistan, my second home, with its rich
cultural history, geographical diversity and great economic
potential, will continue its journey towards peace, social and
economic development and I am confident that under the joint
efforts of the leaderships of both countries, the relations will
continue to keep pace with the need of time.
 H.E. Yves Manville
Deputy Chief of Mission, France
n August 15, 1947, in the very first broadcast of Ra-
O
dio-Pakistan as the official radio of free and indepen-
dent Pakistan, and immediately after the announce-
ment of the assumption of office of Mohammed Ali
Jinnah as Governor General, the first two messages received
from abroad were read to greet the birth of the new country:
one was from China, the other was from France; it was written
personally by the then French president: Vincent Auriol.
Exactly eight months later the Quaid e Azam received the
first French Ambassador and lyrically hailed our national mot-
to, “Liberté Egalité Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity).
He also expressed the wish that relations between Pakistan and
France would be warmer and more constructive, so that the
two countries could contribute together, in a world undergoing
reconstruction after the Second World War. And help transform
a world already troubled by the beginnings of the cold war, to a
calmer and more prosperous world
Relations between Pakistan and France are historical in
nature and must be seen in a long-term context. Today con-
tacts between the two countries are being revived on several
levels, political, economic, cultural, with strong dynamics in
sectors such as agriculture and the renovation of the old town
of Lahore. I salute the 75 years of Pakistan and using the words
inspired by its national anthem, wish the country imagined by
the Poet of the East Allama Iqbal and founded by Mohammed
Ali Jinnah, to continue its path towards progress, happiness and
prosperity of its people and its State; Qaum, Mulk, Sultanat.
 S
amina Baig and Naila Kiani, two Pakistani mountaineers,
became the first women to summit K2, the second-highest
peak in the world, on July 22. This was a momentous day for
the country's mountaineering community and they received
plaudits from all over the world. Samina Baig raised the green and
white flag atop the 8,611-meter-high K2 as the first female climber
from Pakistan. "We are extremely proud to announce that Samina
Baig with her strong Pakistani team, successfully summited the
world's most fascinating and dangerous mountain K2 this morning
at 7:42am PKT," read a statement by Samina's team. "Grateful and
blessed that K2 allowed her to stand atop this incredible mountain,"
the statement added. Later that day, Naila Kiani, another female
climber from Pakistan, also succeeded in ascending K2. Kiani, a
mountain enthusiast and a banker by profession in the United Arab
Emirates, is called the "K2 Bride" after her marriage at the K2 base

First Pakistani camp in 2018. Due to its dangerous topography, the rocky peak in
Pakistan's portion of the Karakoram Range is considered one of

Women to Conquer
the deadliest mountains in the world. According to estimates, for
every four climbers who reach the summit, one of them passes
away. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain after climber George

14
K2
GVS Magazine
Bell said, "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you" after an
expedition in the 1950s.
August 2022
 Pervaiz Elahi becomes Punjab’s CM
after intense political drama
P
ervaiz Elahi, PTI’s candidate became the Chief
Minister of Punjab for the second time in the
early hours of 27th July 2022 – after one of the
most intense political and constitutional drama
in country’s history. President Dr Arif Alvi administered
the oath of Punjab chief minister to Chaudhry Pervaiz
Elahi at the President House, in Islamabad when
PMLN Governor of Punjab, Baligh ur Rehman refused
administering oath.
Elahi was declared the chief minister-elect by a Supreme
Court ruling on 26th, which said that he should take oath
of office by 11:30pm. This came after an interesting legal
battle when Supreme Court after three days of debate
declared Hamza Shahabaz’s election, of 22nd July, null
and void and directed Elahi to take oath as CM Punjab.
Elahi had obtained 187 votes in the Punjab Assembly poll
(against Hamza’s 178) that followed the by-elections of
17th July in which PTI routed PMLN (Hamza’s party)
by winning 15 out of 20 seats as compared to mere 4
seats by PMLN. However, Dy. Speaker Dost Mazari
discounted 10 votes of PMLN after receiving a letter
from PMLQ party head, Ch. Shujjaat Hussain. It was
a patently malafide attempt that tried exploiting apex
court’s decision of May 17, 2022 in which court had
August 2022
interpreted Art. 63 of the constitution on Presidential
Reference.
Elahi has been elected as chief executive of the province
for the second time. Earlier, he was elected as the
Punjab chief minister in 2002 in President Musharraf
Govt (1999-2007). He has also served as deputy prime
minister in 2011. Elahi was born in Gujjrat’s Jutt famous
political family of Ch. Zahoor Elahi, in 1945 and started
his political carrier as the Gujrat District Council
chairman in 1983. Later in 1985, he became a member of
the provincial assembly for the first time, then in 1988,
1990 and 1993. He also worked as an acting opposition
leader in the provincial assembly between 1993 and
1996 in absence of Shehbaz Sharif. He was re-elected
as the MPA for the fifth time in 1997 and served as the
provincial assembly speaker.
In 2018, Pervaiz Elahi won again on two National
Assembly and a provincial assembly seat. He became
the Punjab Assembly speaker as the PML-Q was an ally
of the then ruling PTI. With him becoming CM Punjab,
now the federal government of PM Shahbaz Sharif
has been restricted only within the Islamabad Capital
territory (ICT) and PMLN has lost its foothold in Punjab.
Most analysts fear, that this may soon lead to the fall of
Federal Government in the coming weeks.
GVS Magazine 15
 PTI Foreign Funding Case becomes
tool for delaying Elections?
O
n Aug 2, Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP) announced decision, that was reserved
on June 21, in what was earlier called
“Foreign Funding Case” (now Prohibited
Funding Case) and set the stage for delaying general
elections for several months into 2023. PTI, country’s
largest political party, and ECP were at logger heads
for past several months. This manifested publicly with
the Daska Elections in April 2021 - though suspicions
about the intentions of ECP existed from much earlier.
Case was being heard since November 2014, when
Akbar S Babar, a former disgruntled PTI member
with apparent support of the then PML-N government
of PM Nawaz Sharif had filed a petition in ECP
reporting irregularities in PTI’s funding from across
the world especially North America. A three-member
bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
Sikander Sultan Raja signed the verdict announcing that
party received funds from 351 foreign companies and 34
foreign nationals and Party Chairman, Imran Khan had
committed misdeclaration while submitting certificates
that authenticated the accounting reports submitted
to the ECP. PM Shahbaz Sharif government has since
then directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to
investigate several PTI leaders and has declared that it
will send a reference to Supreme Court of Pakistan for
banning PTI as a political party and for disqualifying
its chairman Imran Khan. ECP itself has issued Show
Cause Notices to Imran Khan and PTI for confiscation
of disputed funds and PML-N leader Mohsin S Ranjha
has filed a petition in ECP asking for disqualification
16 GVS Magazine August 2022
of Imran Khan for misdeclaration. Before ECP verdict,
PMLN/PPP leaders’ part of ruling alliance had met
CEC asking him to declare the verdict against PTI and a
story – believed to be part of lobbying efforts by PDM –
appeared in Financial Times against PTI. While all these
announced actions by ruling alliance look very serious,
most legal analysts point out that ECP decision reads
like a comedy of errors and will not hold in courts. Most
of the 34 so called foreign nationals are of Pakistani
origin, one Indian lady Romita Shetty (portrayed as
RAW agent or conspiracy) is not an Indian citizen but
a US National, wife of a successful Pakistani businesses
man and herself a known Columbia University affiliate.
The 351 companies being cited are small LLC or Pvt Ltd
companies that were not banned in the 2002 Political
Parties Orders (PPO-2202) that only banned funding
from large Multinational Companies (MNCs). In PPO-
2107 funding from companies was also added but this
cannot be applied retrospectively on funding that was
collected between 2010 and 2013. Certificates submitted
by Imran Khan, as party chairman, were not “Affidavits”
that are submitted by election candidates about their
personal assets but were large records of data checked
by an Accounting firm, audited by another Accounting
firm and Khan merely signed these as a legal formality.
The only real significance of the ECP decision appears
to be political, that is: raise multiple legal issues, buy
time to disrupt political process so that elections cannot
be held in 2022; and a hope to create a narrative that
Imran Khan too is corrupt like all other his opponents.
Political battle will continue.
 T
he government of Pakistan intends to alter the laws
governing the sale of shares of listed state-owned
enterprises with a buyback option to friendly
nations, according to Miftah Ismail, the country's
finance minister, who made the announcement at a meeting
of the Federal Cabinet on July 27, 2022. It was revealed
that the country is not selling majority shares or ownership
shares and that it is only selling a small number of shares to
reconcile a portion of the $4 billion financing gap estimated
by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the current
fiscal year. The change in SOEs-related laws to sell SOEs

Govt to Sell its

on a buyback basis would cater to the country's sputtering
economy. With the stronger economy, the government could
decide to buy those shares back at a later time. Shares of

Stakes in 5 Energy Oil and Gas Development Company OGDCL and two other
companies were approved for sale in order to close the

Companies to UAE country's financing gap and address the crippling economy
and inflation. According to insiders, the government also

for $2 Billion intends to sell the Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki power
plants to the UAE on a G2G basis.

A
US drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-
Zawahiri in Afghanistan on July 31. President Joe
Biden said that the strike was a “clear demonstration”
of American resolve to carry out its fight against the
terrorist group. Zawahiri was originally from Egypt and had
spent decades in al-Qaeda, serving as its deputy leader under
bin Laden before assuming the mantle over a decade ago. He
is believed to have plotted the 2000 attack on the USS Cole
in Yemen, which killed 17 US sailors, and helped coordinate
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and the
Pentagon. Zawahiri had long evaded US efforts seeking to kill
or capture him. He led the US-designated terrorist group since
2011 when American forces killed al-Qaeda founder Osama
bin Laden in Pakistan. The US strike targeted a safe house
in downtown Kabul in which Zawahiri was residing with his
family. According to a US official, two hellfire missiles were
fired from a US drone targeting Zawahiri while he was alone,
and none of his family members or other civilians were killed
during the strike. He further added that Zawahiri’s presence in
Al-Qaeda leader al- Kabul was a “clear violation” of the agreement the US struck
under former President Donald Trump for the withdrawal

Zawahiri killed by US of American forces from Afghanistan. The US had offered

a reward of up to $25 million for information on him under

strike in Afghanistan
its Rewards for Justice program. For its part, the Taliban
condemned the US attack, calling it a “clear violation of
international principles and the Doha Agreement,” a reference
to the pact that set out the US exit from Afghanistan.

August 2022 GVS Magazine 17

 Nancy Pelosi Taiwan visits creates
headlines and new tensions with China
.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy
U
Pelosi created global headlines and another
low between US and China when she visited
Taiwan in the first week of August. She
described her visit as evidence of unwavering American
commitment to the Chinese-claimed self-ruled island,
but China condemned the highest-level U.S. visit in 25
years as a threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan
Strait. Russian Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria
Zakharova called the United States "a state provocateur."
Independent analysts see this as “increased pressure” by
Washington on Xi Jinping’s China.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory since
the nationalist flight to the island after losing mainland
to communists in 1948. United States, as part of its
opening with China in 1970-78, is committed to “One
China Policy” and the United States has no official
diplomatic relations with Taiwan – as part of its
commitment to China. But is also bound by American
law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
China views visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan as sending
an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp on
the island. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims,
saying only the Taiwanese people can decide the island's
future. US policy makers, since 1990’s, have started
using Taiwan stick more and more to pressurize what
they consider an assertive China.
"Our congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan
honours America's unwavering commitment to
supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy," Pelosi said in
a statement shortly after landing in Taipei. "America's
solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more
important today than ever, as the world faces a choice
between autocracy and democracy." read more
Pelosi, second in the line of succession to the U.S.
presidency, is a long-time China critic. Travelling with
six other American lawmakers, she became the most-
senior U.S. political leader to visit Taiwan since 1997
– when Newt Gingrich last visited. Pelosi, 82, is a close
18 GVS Magazine August 2022
ally of U.S. President Joe Biden, both being members
of the Democratic Party. Though US media reports that
Biden was not in favour of this provocation and the
US military did not like the idea. But few in Beijing
see this as anything more than routine double games in
Washington where Biden and Pelosi are playing “Good
Cop” and “Bad cop” in a shared policy to contain China
– one thing that democrats have adopted whole heartedly
from Trump administration.
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met with Pelosi next
morning after her arrival and they had lunch together, the
presidential office said. China's foreign ministry lodged
a strong protest with the United States, saying Pelosi's
visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan
Strait, "has a severe impact on the political foundation
of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon
China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the
Taiwan Strait before her arrival. The Chinese military
was put on high alert and launch "targeted military
operations" in response to Pelosi's visit. Taylor Fravel, a
Massachusetts Institute of Technology expert on China's
military told Reuters that China's planned exercises
appeared greater in scope than during a Taiwan Strait
crisis in 1995 and 1996. Four U.S. warships, including
the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, were also
positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the U.S.
Navy called routine deployments – but few analysts will
believe this.
Pelosi was on an Asia tour that included announced
visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and
Japan. Her Taiwan visit was unannounced but was
widely anticipated and reported by the US media. In a
Washington Post opinion piece released after landing,
Pelosi explained her visit, praising Taiwan's commitment
to democratic government while criticizing China as
having dramatically increased tensions with Taiwan in
recent years. Few in Beijing buy this as the reason for
her trip – they see it as part of growing US policy to
contain China.
 Supreme Court Buries
“Doctrine of Necessity for Ever”?
O
n July 26, in its landmark decision in “Pervez
Elahi vs. Deputy Speaker Provincial Assembly,
Punjab (Constitution Petition No. 22 of 2022),
a three-member bench of the Supreme Court
of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice, Hon. Umar Ata
Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar
gave a final blow to the "Doctrine of Necessity" that has
blemished the apex court since the infamous decision
by Justice Muhammad Munir of the Federal Court in
Maulvi Tamizzuddin vs. Federation of Pakistan (1955).
The Federal Court of Pakistan (now the Supreme Court
of Pakistan), headed by Justice Muhammad Munir, had
then ruled in favor of the Governor General of Pakistan's
dismissal of the 1st Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
The real significance was that the top court had invoked
the "Doctrine of Necessity" to support the power that
controlled the system – i.e., the Governor General, in
other words, the "status quo." In July 2022, the case,
"Pervaiz Elahi vs. The Dy. Speaker," legal point was
simple. As the court observed in its short order on July
26, the sole question of public importance with reference
to the enforcement of fundamental rights involved
in this petition was whether the understanding and
implementation of the short judgment of the apex court
dated May 17, 2022, passed in Presidential Reference
(Ref. No 1 of 2022) read with Article 63A(1)(b) of the
Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 was
correct. And court determined that the understanding
and implementation of the said short judgment as well as
the provisions of Article 63A(1)(b) of the Constitution
by the Deputy Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Punjab,
Lahore (Respondent No.1) was patently incorrect and
erroneous and could not be sustained. In consequence
of this, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi (the petitioner) was
declared the duly elected Chief Minister, Punjab.
Prima facie, this was a simple legal decision; it was
the Dy. Speaker and his supporters who had clearly
August 2022
misinterpreted the Supreme Court's short order, of May
17, in the Presidential Reference on Article 63A(1)(b)
of the Constitution. Everyone was clear about it, from
lawyers and media analysts to housewives. The real
challenge was not in the point of law but in the political
circumstances and the balance of power that prevailed
in the country and that strongly favored maintaining
Hamza Shehbaz, son of PM Sharif, as the Chief Minister.
Hamza's party, PML-N, had lost the by-elections of July
17 with a huge margin; it only won 4 seats out of 20
contested against 15 won by Imran Khan's PTI. But
Dy. Speaker, Dost Mazari, acting on instructions from
some powerful quarters, did not count the 10 votes cast
by PML-Q in favor of its parliamentary candidate for
CM (Pervaiz Elahi) on the strength of a letter written
by Ch. Shujjat, party head of PML-Q. Law, Constitution
and convention were all clear, but circumstances
made one believe that the apex court was subjected to
unprecedented pressure - that took the form of a witch
hunt of the bench of three - by the PDM alliance, its
supporters in bar associations, legal fraternity and media
to decide in favor of the interpretation by Deputy Speaker.
Repeated press conferences, and ferocious media talks,
were held to literally force the Chief Justice to set up
a full court bench to decide the matter. It was a clear
ploy to delay the court proceedings for the next several
weeks providing time to incumbent Chief Minister
Hamza Shehbaz to further consolidate his hold on power
in Punjab. But Supreme Court, under the Chief Justice,
stuck to its point of principle and resisted all attempts
to intimidate the bench. The short order supported the
popular election of July 17 and successfully changed the
balance of power in Punjab and Pakistan. In the process,
the apex court has created hope that the "Doctrine of
Necessity" repeatedly invoked, in the past, to sustain
"status quo powers" has been given a death blow in
Pakistan.
GVS Magazine 19
 ndia and Pakistan will play each other for the first

I time since the 2021 T20 World Cup when they face
off in the Asia Cup on August 28 in Dubai, a day
after the tournament begins with Sri Lanka taking
on Afghanistan. Bangladesh open their campaign against
Afghanistan on August 30 in Sharjah. India, Pakistan and
the team that wins the qualifying tournament comprise
Group A, while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh
are in Group B. All matches will start at 6pm local time,
with ten games in Dubai and three in Sharjah. In the main
draw, each team will play the other two in their group
once, and the top two teams from each group will enter
a Super 4 round that starts on September 3. The teams in
the Super 4 round will play each other once, with the top
two sides qualifying for the final on September 11. India
are the defending champions of the Asia Cup, which was
last played in 2018 in an ODI format. India had won the
title by beating Bangladesh in a last-ball thriller in Dubai.

India vs Pakistan
This edition of the Asia Cup was supposed to be held in Sri
Lanka but it was moved to the UAE last month because
of the ongoing economic crisis in the island nation. SLC

on August 28 will continue to be the official hosts of the tournament,

although it is being played in the UAE.

P
akistan received 60% of its usual monsoon rainfall in
just three weeks this July & August. This catastrophe
has not only resulted in urban and flash floods,
landslides, and glacia l Lake outburst floods across
Pakistan causing hundreds of deaths and loss of property.
But has again exposed the absence of vision and lack of
long-term planning for flood management and storage in
world’s one of the most water stressed country. Baluchistan
and Sindh were the two provinces most severely impacted
by the torrential rains and flash floods that wreaked havoc
across the country. Baluchistan had the highest death toll, with
13,000 houses demolished or partially damaged. Sindh, which
includes Karachi, the largest metropolis in Pakistan, came in
second with 70 people dying in rain-related incidents. Over
320 individuals across the country lost their lives, and many
more remained trapped and waiting for help. After their homes
crashed down to the rain and floodwaters, hundreds of people

Destructive Floods are now homeless. In addition, around 800 schools, 50 bridges
and 616 km of road sections have been affected. The inadequate

again revealed
infrastructure and the ineptitude of the disaster management
agencies to save people in their hour of need aggravated the
catastrophe. Helicopters and boats are being used in the relief

Pakistan’s and rescue efforts by the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army,
Frontier Corps, and PDMA rescuers. Unfortunately, the rescue

structural weakness
teams have also found it tough to navigate through the harsh
conditions. On August 1, an army helicopter with six officials
crashed near Lasbela, Baluchistan, leading to the martyrdom
& failure of Vision! of all personnel on board including the Corps. Commander
Quetta.
20 GVS Magazine August 2022

Government to Sell
Shares of State Owned
Entities to Help Bridge
Financing Gap
China Aspires to Extend
China Pakistan Economic
Corridor to Afghanistan
August 2022
D
espite government’s strict measures to comply
with the conditions of IMF to release funds, a $4
billion financing gap estimated by the lending
authority for the current fiscal year has hindered
the resumption of the IMF program. In an attempt to bridge
the gap, Miftah Ismail, shared that the government is in the
process of amending laws to facilitate the sale of shares of
listed state-owned entities (SOEs) with a buyback option to
friendly countries on a government-to-government (G2G)
basis. The current privatization law did not permit such G2G
commercial transactions, but in order to facilitate this, the
federal cabinet passed the ‘Inter-Government Commercial
Transaction Act 2022’ presented by the Ministry of Law and
Justice and referred it to the relevant standing committee of the
parliament. Miftah Ismail stated that Pakistan had a recurring
problem with SOEs since some of them were poorly managed,
and while some were essential for service delivery, even those
were not providing services and were instead causing budget
problems. He stated, “we are only selling shares traded at the
stock exchange and only a little bit of each of them. We are
not selling majority shares or ownership shares and we are
selling a small number of shares on buyback option.” He also
clarified that the government might buy back those shares
when economic conditions improve.
C
hina has conveyed to the administration in Kabul
that Beijing supports extending the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. "China
hopes to push the alignment of the Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) with the development strategies of Afghanistan,"
China's top diplomat Wang Yi told Afghan Foreign Minister
Amir Khan Muttaqi. The two met in Tashkent, Uzbekistan,
on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) summit of foreign ministers. Wang also announced zero
tariffs on 98 percent of Afghan imports and the resumption of
the issuance of visas to Afghan citizens. Wang said Beijing
"supports the extension of the CPEC to Afghanistan, and
share China's development opportunities." Wang told Muttaqi
that China "appreciates the Afghan government's unremitting
efforts in overcoming the four challenges posed by the winter,
earthquake, flood and sanctions, in reconstruction and recovery
and the improvement of people's livelihood, and its steady
progress toward the goal of lasting peace and stability." The
CPEC is a multibillion-dollar economic and infrastructural
developmental arrangement between Pakistan and China,
under which Beijing has invested more than $25 billion since
2014. After the complete withdrawal of US-led foreign forces
from Afghanistan, Islamabad and Beijing appear to have
agreed to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan, where the Taliban
has ruled since last August. The Taliban administration has
also insisted on stabilizing the war-torn country to become the
transit between Central and South Asia.
GVS Magazine 21
 MOHYUDDIN AHMAD WANI

22 GVS Magazine August 2022

 On the occasion of Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan
Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani writes about the initiatives being taken for the development of Gilgit
Baltistan in various domains such as economy, women empowerment, climate change and political
integration. In the following piece, he discusses the issues faced by the GB population and the actions
being undertaken by the current GB administration in order to overcome these issues and create a
prosperous and productive society there. The Chief Secretary has shared his optimistic vision for the
future of GB and for the optimization of its resources.

G
ilgit-Baltistan (GB), the Northern administrative re-
gion of Pakistan, has undergone a dramatic positive
transformation over the last few months. Known as
the region of mountains, its rarely known for its ro-
mance, food, culture, and people. The “GB Dream” aims to
finally bring the spotlight to these concepts.
Despite the challenging environment, difficult terrain,
harsh topography, and other administrative issues, GB is trans-
forming due to the efforts and resilience of its people, but in
line with ideas of eco-sustainability. Only a few years back,
this region was grappled with unprecedented crises in the form
of sectarian violence and law and order situations. However,
with prudent decision-making, inclusivity of local stakeholders
and special attention given by successive representative gov-
ernments, this sordid past is well beyond us as we look forward
to usher a new phase of progress and development.
The wave of development in GB is impressive and based
on social and human development with a focus on women and
youth, backed by serious political and administrative support

Tech boot camp at a school in Chilas

commitment, dedication, and excellence. Moreover, to ad-

dress stunted growth in children, the first government-funded
“meals and health improvement for students in schools” pro-
gram has been started. The GB government has also initiated
the Taaleem Finance scheme that aims at providing soft loans/
scholarships to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
To acquaint children with potential career choices, the
government of GB organized events for career counseling
and the first ever ‘GB Career Fest’ is scheduled for 15th to
18th August to open doors of opportunities for the youth.
Also, the government has decided to hire tech fellows for mid-
Prefab toilets being installed at Deosai dle schools to teach entrepreneurial and STEM education to
under the dynamic leadership of the very able GB government.
No longer will the people look at the past in which they were
cut off from other provinces, administratively governed, had a
lack of resources and more. On completion of these glorious
75 years of Pakistan, we aim to further look ahead to a future
of GB which is beautiful, making it a tourism hub of Pakistan
that is connected with the world and progressive in its thoughts.
This article stems from the ideas of how “adversity was
transformed into opportunity” through proper attention to the
basic needs of the people. The key policy interventions are
aimed at fiscal reforms, capacity building and sustainability
backed by technology.
The government is serious about human development,
particularly in the education sector. In its aim to appreciate
teachers, the GB National Teachers Award of PKR 10 lac each
is reserved for three teaching professionals to appraise their Inaugurating school meals program in Gilgit

August 2022 GVS Magazine 23


Free medical camp in Ghizer
students of the region. They will also work on their commu-
nication skills and impart public speaking and debating capa-
bilities. Additionally, Rs. 5 crores have been reserved for the
establishment of new libraries and computer labs in schools.
The initiative will be completed in the next 6 months and all
schools in the province will have functional computer labs and
libraries. To change the mentality from prisoner to pioneer, the
Old City prison building is being converted into a 'Centre of
Learning' with the provincial government's approval.
Since we live in the IT age, particular attention is being
given to the department. IT Software Park providing free-of-
cost co-working spaces to IT companies at Polytechnic Insti-
tute Chilmishdass, has been made operational to further push
the startup revolution in Pakistan. To make the students com-
petitive and create a small Silicon Valley, boot camps have
been put together in schools to teach the basics of computer
programming and coding to budding students by professionals.
Furthermore, the Cabinet approved the creation of GB's own IT
Board to spearhead an IT revolution. In the coming 6 months,
IT parks in all districts of the province will be established to
augment the IT sector.
Reforming the dilapidated health sector is high on the
government's agenda. Renovation of sports complex at Jutial,
Gilgit and the establishment of gyms in all districts is to be
carried out to promote physical activity among residents of the
city. Apart from that, weekly medical camps have been set up
under the supervision of Assistant Commissioners to focus on
the mental and physical health of the people of GB. Regula-
tion of food items in educational institutes and vicinity areas
through the “GB Educational Institutions Food Standard Regu-
Beautification and cleanliness drive in Skardu
24 GVS Magazine August 2022
lation, 2022” will provide hygienic food to people.
There was only one operational MRI machine in the
province, which was in Gilgit city. Therefore, two additional
machines have been procured and sent to Skardu and Chilas.
Lastly, in another first, the retirement age for medical experts
was increased to 65 to retain talent and fill the existing special-
ization gap while empty seats are being rapidly filled on con-
cepts of skill, meritocracy and experience. Meanwhile, medical
fellows are being employed by third-party recruitment on mar-
ket competitive salaries to address the paucity of specialized
doctors.
GB is a hub of tourism, and no reform will be complete
without addressing it. To boost tourism, prefabricated toilets
are being rapidly installed at the tourist sites under the admin-
istrative control of the Forest Department to assist the travelers.
For a revolution in tourism, the concept of a Tourism Authority
Newly-made municipal library in Hunza
will also be approved after further deliberations and GB Tour-
ism App will be made functional to further boost tourism. This
App will be an information interface for potential tourists who
will have knowledge of weather, route access, traffic and hotel
availability with the click of a button. On top of that, cleanli-
ness and beautification campaigns by all municipalities in GB
will make this region the heaven of Pakistan. Reforms in police
are underway to make it more tourist friendly and receptive to
the needs of the tourists.
Furthermore, to move towards self-sufficiency through its
own source of revenue generation, the creation of GB Revenue
Authority was also approved. Additionally, a gemstone market
is being constructed in the Chinar Bagh area of Gilgit to create
business opportunities.
All in all, in order to fully utilize the potential of Gilgit
Baltistan and to give it the attention it merits, the GB govern-
ment is taking the necessary measures in a multitude of do-
mains.
Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani is currently serving as
the Chief Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan. Previously
he served as Additional Secretary of the Ministry
of Federal Education and Professional Training,
Pakistan.
August 2022 GVS Magazine 25
 Pakistan: The Ungovernable Nation
Lt. Gen. (r) Tariq Khan

Ex-head of the Pakistan Army's central command notes that it is impossible to tell how fast our society is collapsing
because history has been riddled with disinformation, and reality is composed of half-fictions and full of paranoid
conspiracy theories concluding that if nothing changes in the way things are being done now, then this envisaged
collapse is not only predictable but highly inevitable.

W
hile beginning this paper, I was advised by a
friend that under the prevailing circumstances, I
should try and be as politically correct as possible.
It was what General Douglas Macarthur was told
to be, by President Truman, in one of their exchanges. When
Macarthur asked what being 'politically correct' was, Truman
replied, 'that it was a doctrine, recently fostered by a delusional,
illogical minority and promoted by a sick mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to
pick up a piece of shit by the clean end.' We in Pakistan are
finding it more and more difficult to be politically correct since
we have now begun to run out of 'clean ends.'
Having stood witness to the affairs of my country and
watched each passing phase of a political evolution unfold be-

26 GVS Magazine August 2022

 We have now reached the dizzying
fore my eyes, I do not know whether to be concerned or amused.
The former for the obvious effect, this political system, may
have on the future of our nation and the generations to come heights of disorder and have established
- the latter, because myself, now having lived long enough,
relatively insignificantly, can recognize my irrelevance to the the rule of chaos. Democracy and
future yet feel entitled to an unqualified opinion. I am reminded
of the famous Shakespearean quote, 'The evil that men do lives
mobocracy are synonymous in our
after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.' chosen way of life and preferred
Our graveyards are so full of the good that people did –
foregone conclusions, forgotten and ignored and yet this nation system. No rational, reason, judicial
remains enveloped in the evil so many others have left behind! or administrative application, logic,
or judgment stand as factors in any
So one wonders, what will this country look like in another
generation, but what would we want it to look like and these
are two very different sentiments – the first, a likely outcome equation to affect right from wrong -
black from white, in this system.
of what we do today, and the second, a dream of what it could
have been. Nations have collapsed in the past; history stands
witness to such happenings, but if one looks into it searching
for a lesson, one will discover that this is a familiar human
story. A story of people who believed, for a long time, that their
actions did not have consequences. It is the story of how those
Might is right
people will cope with the crumbling of their own myths. It is
Might is now effectively right – who you are is far more
our story. Sorry and sad.
important than what you do. Merit is sacrificed at the altar of
We have now reached the dizzying heights of disorder and
parochialism, nepotism, or cheap popularity while every of-
have established the rule of chaos. Democracy and mobocracy
fice exhibits a totally clueless, incompetent, and unqualified
are synonymous in our chosen way of life and preferred sys-
semi-literate idiot who misuses his authority and causes dam-
tem. A system in which no rationale, reason, judicial or admin-
age to whatever institution he belongs to. Justice is dispensed
istrative application, logic, or judgment stand as factors in any
selectively, that is, if time is found for any dispensation at all,
equation to affect right from wrong - black from white. The thin
in the first place. It is so shamelessly forgiving to the few un-
line dividing propriety from impropriety is not visible, nor does
deserving criminals and yet so shamefully and disproportion-
it matter anymore. Individual acts are no longer governed by
ately punitive to others who are implicated in exaggerated or
honor, honesty, a sense of doing the right thing, moral persua-
false cases. Consistency in governance is measured by the
sion, or human empathy. We roam the streets either like preda-
convenience it offers to the administrator, continuity in rou-
tors or those who are hunted.
tine is only specific to the corruption it lives on, security of
the individual depends on how far and wide one can avoid the
government, law enforcement, and the justice system. Survival
Pakistan’s Rule of Law Index in this country has now become an art performed by communi-
(2021) ties and individuals, despite the government and in spite of the
administration.

0.39 OVERALL SCORE Is the collapse of our society inevitable?

It is impossible to tell how fast our society is collapsing
130th of 139 countries because history has been riddled with disinformation, and real-
ity is composed of half-fictions and full of paranoid conspiracy
5th of 6 Regional countries theories. Yet, if nothing changes in the way things are being
done now, then this envisaged collapse is not only predictable
but highly inevitable. The causes of a societal collapse have
Constraints on Government Powers 0.47 always been either economical or moral, but in our case, they
are both, and together collectively, which makes it even more
Absence of Corruption 0.31 ominous. Aristotle had feared that the inherent dangers in de-
mocracy were, first, the conflict between the aristocracy and
Open Government 0.42 the poor, and second, it would usher in corruption. Both pro-
cesses would lead to collapse unless separation of power was
Fundamental Rights 0.38 enforced. We have arrived there already. The swagger of the
insignificant crook as he is followed by his armed guards is all
Order and Security 0.37 indicative of this reality.
Polybius asserted that all nations follow a cycle: democra-
Regulatory Enforcement 0.39 cy, oligarchy, dictatorship, tyranny, and collapse. We managed
to 'collapse' without even sampling the other forms of gover-
nance. Are we to be denied basic nationhood, and are we then
Civil Justice 0.40
a failed State even before becoming a State? Closer to our own
times, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) stated that dynasties (Govern-
Criminal Justice 0.35
ments) repeatedly become sedentary, senile, coercive, pomp-
ous, and subservient to desire. Group feelings disappear as the
Source: WJP Rule of Law Index

August 2022 GVS Magazine 27


dynasty (government) grows senile, and senility is a chronic
disease for which there is no cure because it is something nat-
ural.
Has our society become too senile and indifferent to rise
above the status quo?
States do die or disappear occasionally, but mostly they
outlive the span of human life. There are moral difficulties in
indicting a whole nation because to do so would be to make the
passive majority suffer the acts of the criminal minority and fu-
ture generations for the sins of their fathers. Are we destined to
continue living as such – in the wake of the sins of our fathers
while we suffer the consequences of the phenomenon we are
mistakenly living in and classifying as 'democracy'?
The question is, are we dying, and very possibly we are.
Corruption has brought about an economic and moral collapse.
Senility has permeated our society as we learn to accept the
status quo and not challenge the convention as it governs our
society. Democracy now lies firmly in the grip of those who, by
the inconsistencies of destiny, sit in the chair of authority. The
power that they wield is not a consequence of any qualification,
education, awareness, experience, or moral equation but sim-
ply the manipulation of State machinery and apparatus.
This manipulation has no moral censure, law, rules, or
regulation that either control or govern it. The aberration of in-
justices, maladministration, and poor governance are explained
and justified by the jugglery of words in a dishonest rhetoric;
opinions shaped through a twisted mass media, spewing dis-
honesty and deceit. Democracy has now taken the full circle, a
phenomenon recognized by the tyranny of the few that exploits
the silent majority.
Is democracy an answer to Pakistan's problems?
The democratic process for Pakistan can never be a solu-
tion to the problems its society and nation face since the appli-
cation of democracy as we know it only empowers criminals,
convicts, and villains through the low values that have been
introduced, new conventions, bad practices and wayward mor-
als that now grip our society. To oppose such values, one must
fall to the level of such standards, and many prefer to hold their
peace in silence rather than compromise on their own princi-
CORRUPTION
PERCEPTIONS
INDEX 2021
The perceived levels of public sector
corruption in 180 countries/territories
around the world.
Pakistan’s Score: 28/100 Pakistan’s Rank:
SCORE
Highly
Corrupt
0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
28 GVS Magazine
We have allowed the benefits of Islam, as
a way of life, to be adopted and enjoyed
by countries that may have no Muslims,
and yet, we who are Muslims, living in
an Islamic republic, have ignored the
basic principle of Haqquq al Abad as
we steal, lie and cheat each other.
ples. Thus the rogues in power walk away uncontested, hoot-
ing into the wind while celebrating their conquest shamelessly,
holding up their fingers and displaying the victory sign.
Having watched the happenings that go around us on a
day-to-day basis, I have finally come to a conclusion that there
is no political solution to Pakistan's woes - not with these peo-
ple, not with this leadership or that which is available in the
country. So many reasons are cited for where we as a nation
have descended to. Corruption is first and foremost. In Paki-
stan, the slogan remains, 'I pray that I rise to a material level
where I too can afford to be honest' – its conditional, relative,
and flexible. Corruption is not exclusive to those in power but
envelopes anyone who has the opportunity regardless of what
his status is: from the lowest level of human being to the high-
est. No transaction, business, or engagement is possible with-
out some sort of corruption. It's the norm.
Even the one offering the sweetener is himself relieved in
that he has discovered a way forward to whatever he wanted
to be done, acquire or sell. Officials put up their demands and
justify their claim on the basis that they are going for Hajj. We
proudly call ourselves the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, where
every mosque is filled with humanity, yet no child is safe on the
streets. Ours is a nation destined to be rated 130th out of 139
countries in the rule of law, one of the most corrupt countries in
the world (140th in ranking out of 180), a bankrupt State living
on the largesse of others and on the edge of being declared a
failed state.
140/180
#cpi2021
Very
Clean
70-79 80-89 90-100 No data This work from Transparency International (2021) is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0
August 2022
 Our political acumen is measured by the loans we can ac-
quire as we stand before the world hat in hand, begging, sup-
pliant, and pleading. Our people are an accomplice to this phe-
nomenon of shameless conduct as we keep bleating about the
joys of democracy and sell our vote to the highest bidder. A so-
ciety of hypocrites, whose religion evolves around form while
the substance is quietly set aside; a people stooped in ritual as
they forget God in their enthusiasm to practice their belief. We
have allowed the benefits of Islam, as a way of life, to be ad-
opted and enjoyed by countries that may have no Muslims, and
yet, we who are Muslims, living in an Islamic republic, have
ignored the basic principle of Haqquq al Abad as we steal, lie
and cheat each other.
Can democracy be the answer to this aberration of a coun-
try where people and government both are an accomplice in
misrule and maladministration – each living of the other? Can
anyone be so naïve as to expect that 'of the people, by the peo-
ple, for the people 'is the panacea for the ills that we suffer?
That we need to continue to follow the course, and in time we
shall finally get it right? To me, such people are living in a fool's
paradise – they cannot see the irreversible damage being done
by the games we are playing; we are running out of resources
and time. Each day of democracy in Pakistan has proven to be
worse than the one before it – nothing improves in this system
as each day brings us closer to our own demise.
So I ask myself, what is the purpose of this paper? Is it
just the rants of a frustrated person who has found a method to
unburden himself? These lines are not likely to influence, affect
or impress anyone at all; the thought within them will matter
even less. I write in disgust and contempt, more with myself
than anything else. I am now living that hopeless feeling of
failure reinforced by the inability to do anything, being another
helpless, irrelevant citizen surrounded by a society drowning
in fatalism who remains resigned to whatever destiny metes
out to them.
The offices that matter neither have the intellect to com-
prehend the gravity of our situation nor do they have the moral
courage to do anything about it. They live on in the hope that
things will right themselves. Others are simply beneficiaries of
this flawed system, and till it collapses, they have much to gain
from it. However, when it finally implodes, these leaders and
the privileged few will flee from this country like rats abandon-
ing a sinking ship.
There is no example of any country that was in a pre-
dicament such as we are in that pulled itself out of its mis-
ery through a democratic exercise. In our own region, South
Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia are some
good examples of nations that raised themselves up from the
ashes to take their place amongst the comity of nations. The
administrative models or types of governance forms that they
adopted could be studied. Then again, even in the West, States
in crisis did adopt measures such as technocrat governments or
national governments to bring order to disorder, and these were
Greece, Italy, and France, amongst many others. Never before
has a nation needed to do something unconventional, different,
and quickly to confront the future and sustain itself as Pakistan
needs to do now.
We need a change
The change could be anything, but it must be able to bring
about a difference quickly and permanently. We need a techno-
crat government at the provincial levels as well as the National
level. Small cabinets of a dozen experts at the national level
and half a dozen at the provincial level. That they be selected
August 2022
Our political acumen is measured by
the loans we can acquire as we stand
before the world hat in hand, begging,
suppliant, and pleading. Our people are
an accomplice to this phenomenon of
shameless conduct as we keep bleating
about the joys of democracy and sell
our vote to the highest bidder.
by a judicial team with military overwatch, they must be man-
dated to address the three crucial areas immediately, i.e., the
economy (including documenting the informal economy), the
foreign policy direction and priorities, and National Security.
The government must be installed for at least 5 to 7 years
and tasked with carrying out the reforms that the country needs
so desperately. These reforms must include: judicial reforms,
de-politicization of the Police, rewriting or moderating part of
the Constitution, developing more provinces, education based
on internationally recognized standards, merit orientation in the
bureaucracy and civil services, privatizing government-owned
businesses immediately, madrassa reforms, and reigning in
the influence of the Maulvi or of religion in politics, industri-
al reforms to boost manufacturing and production, bringing in
services into the private sector to include energy distribution,
type of energy, consumer services and establishing national
consumer standards and defining red lines for waste dispos-
al, energy distribution, water management, the enforcement of
regulation and implementation of rules.
I strongly recommend that having been able to bind the
country within regulatory parameters, standards, and sustain-
able growth, the technocrat government can then ease the way
for a more people-inclusive democratic process. This could be
the parliamentary system for which, apparently, we have not
suited or then a presidential form of government, if that is the
preferred choice. Whatever may be the need of that time. I end
this note here. I do not know if it has any significance for any-
one, will it influence thinking, or can it contribute towards a
new mechanism to improve our country, but I hope that it is at
the least considered towards such ends. To conclude, it would
not be amiss to quote from the serenity prayer: 'O Lord! give
me the serenity to recognise the things I cannot change, the
courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the
difference between both.'
Lt. Gen. Tariq Khan retired as a three star Gen-
eral from Pakistan Army. He previously led Pa-
kistan Army's Strike Corps at Mangla and has
led Frontier Corps to victory against TTP. He
had participated in the First Gulf War of 1991
and contributed towards the international effort
in the War on Terrorism as Pakistan’s Senior
representative at CENTCOM, Tampa, Florida
from 2004 to 2005. Lt. Gen. Tariq has written
and lectured extensively on the issues related to
Online Version
Afghanistan, United States and Taliban.
GVS Magazine 29
While economists and financial experts take turns at solving what has now become a complex economic equation
for the country, the Chairman of HBL highlights the need to go back to basics and presents a charter for the
nation, which he terms Solution 101 — 'earn more and borrow less.'

Sultan Ali Allana

T
he 22nd IMF program, circular debt, G2G loans and
an imminent 23rd program are lurking around the
corner. It reminds one of Jaws, the movie where dan-
ger creeps unseen and dread is prevalent amongst all.
'Borrow more to borrow even more' versus 'earn more to bor-
row less.' Two very different courses, yet interchangeably de-
ployed, admittedly intermittently, in varying blends, over the
past 40 to 50 years, have shackled the nation to the debt trap.
Omnipresent in this murky blend, not unlike other
debt-laden markets, are what the West terms as 'economic
hitmen,' who pursue self-interests, ostensibly for the greater
good. These interests are then propagated scientifically, justi-
fied, and then, with the clever manipulation of economic data,
communicated to every handheld device.
While economists and financial experts take turns at solv-
ing what has now become a complex equation, perhaps it's
time to go back to the basics, which may be termed as Solu-
tion 101 — 'earn more and borrow less' — a solution which is
admittedly easier to state than actualize. It is a course which
may well require our urgent attention and, most importantly,
political convergence that entails all major political parties,

30 GVS Magazine August 2022

irrespective of their manifestos, unanimously agreeing to sign
off on a 'charter of economy' that marks milestones at five-year
intervals — starting with 'earn more and borrow less' to 'earn
more and not borrow at all' to, ultimately, 'earn more and build
reserves.'
Simply put, this charter may be a 15-year plan for this
nation's way forward and a performance measure to determine
the economic achievements of each successive government.
Politics and the economy must, at all costs, be separated in the
interest of the nation.
Pakistan's debt story is interwoven with the country's 75-
year journey. We entered the first IMF program in 1958, and
since then, it has been one program after another, while insti-
tutional and G2G debts have continued to grow simultaneous-
Government Domestic Debt and Liabilities
19,836.5
20000
15,904.1 15,726.4
(PKR Billion)
15000 14,023.5
10000
June-20
April-22
June-21
May-21
5000
0 trial base, with the aim of capitalizing on the shifting industrial
Source: State Bank of Pakistan
ly. As of Dec 31, 2021, combined foreign currency loans are
more than $90.5 billion. The story of Pakistan's debt is incom-
plete without taking into account domestic debt, which by the
end of December 2021 had crossed Rs. 26.7 trillion (roughly
$151.5bn based on the Dec 31, 2021, closing rate), resulting
in total debt in excess of $242bn or around 77 percent of GDP.
There is also the circular debt, which grew from Rs. 161bn in
2008 to over Rs. 2.46tr by March 2022. It continues to grow,
putting oil, gas, and power supply at risk.
A consolidated picture of Pakistani debt on a per person
basis depicts the debt journey. Each Pakistani, irrespective of
age and gender, carries upon their shoulders a debt burden of
nearly Rs. 190,000, while devaluation and interest adds to this
figure by the day. Pakistan must borrow to pay back its bor-
rowings and borrow to pay back the interest on its borrowings.
Bluntly put, we are no longer borrowing for growth but to ser-
vice and repay borrowings.
The government may be able to service local currency
debt by raising taxes at the cost of stunting growth; howev-
er, foreign currency earnings will have to be significantly en-
hanced through exports, remittances, privatization and foreign
investments, and imports will have to be managed to make the
equation work. Without a balancing act, the debt cycle will
grow to untenable levels.
Tough decisions and belt-tightening are essential. The
country's policy framework, which has relied on imports, belies
the requirements of a paradigm shift in thinking. The emphasis
needs to shift to the development of a robust agro-economy,
making Pakistan not just self-sufficient in food, thus ensuring
future food security, but also a country that can be a global sup-
The cycle of boom-and-bust
can only be broken if there is a
meaningful shift in the policy
framework. Granting subsidies
without assessing the long-term
consequences, or imposing heavy
taxation regimes, which impair
growth, must be examined and
thought through.
plier of food. If oil can be extracted (at a cost) and countries can
rise to heights unthinkable in the 1960s, surely, agro extraction
19,963.3 (at a cost, undoubtedly) can become a source for sustaining
growth, which in due course can accelerate industrial growth
for a balanced economic model.
The cycle of boom-and-bust can only be broken if there is
a meaningful shift in the policy framework. Granting subsidies
without assessing the long-term consequences, or imposing
heavy taxation regimes that impair growth must be examined
May-22
and thought through. To quote Winston Churchill: "I contend
that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man
standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up with the han-
dles." While building a strong SME and labor-intensive indus-
trend in China, is equally important, a focused approach, which
entails start-to-finish government support — some call this the
'ease of doing business' — must be given top priority.
Competitive markets drive global agendas where Paki-
stan will have to situate itself and measure its competitiveness.
What has not worked before will certainly not work going for-
ward. It is imperative that we plan for future generations to pro-
vision for a fulfilling and debt-free life of progress, prosperity
and security. We have heard the endless discussions of experts
and also novices who have little understanding but who use
economic jargon to impress with 'solutions.' But why has noth-
ing, or very little, worked? Framing policies, ensuring compe-
tency and challenging dogma require political consensus and
hard work.
Freedom comes at a price, and it's a price we must pay
someday. Climate change is upon us, where food security and
water management will remain on top of the global agenda for
decades to come. Gainful employment for our ever-growing
and young population will be challenging. With over 366 mil-
lion mouths to feed by 2050, surely this must be our primary
concern. Debt and more debt are certainly not a solution. It is
the problem!
Sultan Ali Allana is a banker and has been
in the financial services industry for nearly
four decades. He is the Director of the Aga
Khan Fund for Economic Development
and the Chairman of HBL.
This article was first published in Dawn on
July 23rd, 2022.
August 2022 GVS Magazine 31
32 GVS Magazine August 2022
 Saad Munawar, a world record holder and author of two books on mountaineering, discusses the
evolution of this sport in the country over the last 75 years. He reflects upon the challenges faced by
local mountaineers and how they have made their country proud while pursuing their passion.

T The role of Pakistani mountaineers

he sport of mountaineering has come a long way in
Pakistan in the last 75 years. If we go back 75 years,
mountaineering was totally a foreigner's game. Pa- kept changing with the passage of
kistani people did not even understand the game, let
alone play it. From 1930 to 1960, there was a battle going on time. In the 1950s and 1960s, Pakistani
between the western countries like the UK, Germany, France,
Italy, Poland, etc., to become the first country to summit an
climbers were used as low and high-
8,000-meter peak, especially Mt Everest, Mt K2, Mt Kanchen- altitude porters. They were not allowed
junga, and Nanga Parbat.
to summit any of the 8,000-meter
peaks (by the foreign expeditions)
even when they had the capacity to
summit.

Climber, Hermann Buhl, who was part of a German-Austri-

an Expedition. Four years later, Buhl died while climbing (on
Chogolisa) in Pakistan. Buhl also did the first ascent of Broad
peak (12th highest peak in the world and 4th highest peak in
Pakistan) in 1957.
The role of Pakistani mountaineers kept changing with the
passage of time. In the 1950s and 1960s, Pakistani climbers
were used as low and high-altitude porters. They were not al-

Since 5 out of the 14 highest peaks (8,000-meter +) are lo-

cated in Pakistan, the big expeditions came for these mountains
and that is how Pakistanis got to climb the high mountains, for
a start. Eventually, Nanga Parbat (9th highest peak in the world
and second highest peak in Pakistan) was the first 8,000-meter
peak summited in Pakistan. It was summited by an Austrian

Top Five 8,000 Meter Plus Peaks in Pakistan

16000 8,611
Meters

8,126
Height in Meters

12000
Meters
8,067
Meters 8,047 8,035
Meters
Meters

8000
I
m-I
m-I
at
arb

eak
bru

bru

4000
ga P

ad P
K2

her

her
Nan

Gas

Gas
Bro

August 2022 GVS Magazine 33

lowed to summit any of the 8,000-meter peaks (by the foreign
expeditions) even when they had the capacity to summit. The
local Pakistanis who used to climb with these foreign expedi-
tions were not technically skilled climbers, but they were born
and raised in these mountain regions and, therefore, had the
strength and stamina to climb the high mountains.
The sport of mountaineering kept evolving and the next
five decades, from 1960 to 2010, saw a lot of strong Pakistani
mountaineers come through. Climbers such as Nazir Sabir,
Col. Sher Khan, Ashraf Aman, Rajab Shah, Meharban Shah,
Little Karim, Ali Raza Sadpara, Nisar Sadpara, M Ali Sadpara,
Hassan Sadpara, Qudrat Ali, Shaheen Baig, Aminullah Baig
and Hassan Jan, came through and broke many national and
international records. On a large scale, Pakistani mountaineers
were still working as high-altitude porters (HAPs). Howev-
er, some Pakistani mountaineers achieved great success and
earned respect for the country in the international mountain-
eering community.
The majority of the top Pakistani mountaineers (90 per-
cent +) come from Gilgit Baltistan province, especially Hunza
District, Ganche District, Skardu District and Shigar District.
One village alone has given Pakistan more than 35 8,000 meter
summiteers. This village, Shimshal, is located in Gojal Tehsil
of Hunza District. It is known as the "Valley of Mountaineers."
It would not be wrong to say that the sport of mountain-
eering is seeing its “Golden Period” in Pakistan right now. Al-
though even our golden period is not as good as the normal
periods in many other countries but considering our own his-
tory, the speed of recent progress has been far better than the
older times. In the last 10 to 12 years, two great things have
happened for mountaineering and (Pakistani) mountaineers.
First, Pakistani mountaineers achieved huge individual success
and brought honor and respect for Pakistan and the Pakistani
mountaineering community. Fazal Ali became the first and
34 GVS Magazine August 2022
It would not be wrong to say that the
sport of mountaineering is seeing its
“Golden Period” in Pakistan right now.
Although even our golden period is
not as good as the normal periods in
many other countries but considering
our own history, the speed of recent
progress has been far better than the
older times.
only person in the world to summit K2 thrice, that too with-
out oxygen. Muhammad Ali Sadpara became the first person to
summit Nanga Parbat in winter. Muhammad Ali Sadpara also
became the first and only person to summit Nanga Parbat 4
times. Samina Baig became the first Muslim woman to summit
Mt Everest. Shehroze Kashif became the youngest climber in
the world to summit K2, Kanchenjunga, etc.
Apart from these individual achievements, the second
good thing that has happened is that Pakistani mountaineers
have started leading their own projects rather than working as
a helper on foreign expeditions. Climbers like Sirbaz Khan,
Abdul Joshi, and Shehroze Kashif have been organizing and
leading their own expeditions inside and outside Pakistan and
this is something that was missing before. This has become
possible now as Pakistani brands and companies have started
to support/sponsor Pakistani mountaineers. Mountain climbing
is an expensive sport and without sponsorships, it is very hard
for any athlete (mountain climber) to take on a big project.
Looking at the progress of Pakistani mountaineers, one
can hope that the sport of mountaineering will flourish in the
coming years. However, we must know that we are still far
away from where we should be. There are a lot of areas that
need improvement. With the right intentions and hard work,
these areas can be improved and Pakistan can take great benefit
from the development of adventure tourism.
Saad Munawar is a world record-holding
mountaineer and author of 2 books
reflecting his journey in the mountains.
Saad has also been working relentlessly
for the development of mountaineering
sports in Pakistan. Currently, he is leading
multiple development projects for the
mountaineering community of Pakistan.
August 2022 GVS Magazine 35
 Dr. Gohar Ejaz, Shahid Sattar & Eman Ahmed
Patron in Chief APTMA and Executive Director APTMA highlight the issue of financial inclusion in
the country, which serves as a major roadblock to entrepreneurship and innovation. They note that
in Pakistan, penetration in the financial sector is extremely low, and out of the total adult population
of Pakistan, the financially excluded population makes up 53 percent, with only 2.4 percent of the
population having access to credit from formal financial sources.

T
he majority of people in developing economies do
not have bank accounts, creating an inequitable eco-
nomic world that impacts the individual’s social and
economic well-being (Donner and Tellez, 2008; Dun-
combe and Boateng, 2009). Financial inclusion in Pakistan is
rudimentary compared to other countries that follow export-led
growth models. The country’s regional competitors have per-
formed better in most areas pertaining to access to finance.
Pakistan, a developing country with a population exceed-
ing 220 million, boasts a high mobile phone penetration of 73
percent (Pakistan Economic Survey, 2014/15). However, 88
percent of the total population is unbanked and financially mar-
ginalized, out of which 63 percent of the population resides in
rural communities (World Bank, 2014). There is a consensus
amongst policy-makers to increase financial access through fi-
nancially inclusive banking practices (Anwar, 2013).
In addition to financial exclusion, there are other road-
blocks to entrepreneurship and innovation that need to be
mitigated so that we can empower our youth and our disen-
franchised talent to bring about a grassroots-level economic
revolution. We must rid our policymaking of the economic
formula whereby interest rates are raised in order to stabilize
the economy, as this can only be effective in certain Highly De-
veloped Economies (HDEs): a title which Pakistan's economy
is a long way off from attaining. HDEs tend to have surplus
currency tied up in mortgages or consumer financing. There-
fore, it is only logical that such a formula be limited in its ap-
plication to those economies which are in a similar state, while
a policy more suited to developing economies should be used
in Pakistan's case. The best mechanism is through supply-side
interventions, bringing more individuals into the economy and
increasing the labor supply – for which entrepreneurship and
financial inclusion is critical.
High-interest rates belie the impression of a stable econo-
my in the short run, while long-term economic health continues
to be endangered due to the volatile nature of an economy with
an interest rate as high as 15 percent. Furthermore, high-inter-
est rates not only curtail investment but also make it virtually
impossible for the concerned industries to remain profitable.
The spike in interest rates has all but put a complete stop to
investment, upgradation and technological advancement in
various industries. Pakistan’s interest rate is now the highest in
the region - even higher than that of Sri Lanka, which is reeling
from a default on its debt.
Subsequently, the low level of investment has worsened
the state of affairs, particularly for productive sectors, which
are now struggling to maintain productivity. The abrupt rise in
factory shutdowns and closing of textile businesses are causes
for concern. The cost of doing business increases indefinitely
with the rise in interest rate, which also implies hindrances in
access to capital, leaving businesses to fend for themselves and
struggle to make ends meet with no fallback option. Investors

36 GVS Magazine August 2022

are also less likely to put money Key Indicators of Financial Inclusion in South Asia
into active projects as the high in- (2021)
terest makes these options volatile
Indicator Afghanistan Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka
and high-risk. (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
All these factors result in a Account Holders
spillover effect with mass downsiz- (Age 15+)
9.65 52.81 77.53 54 20.98 89.27
ing, stifled economic activity and Male Account Holders
14.79 62.86 77.51 58.61 28.18 89.26
stagnation in GDP growth. Thus, (Age 15+)
it comes as no surprise that techno- Female Account Hold-
4.70 43.46 77.55 49.90 13.48 89.28
ers (Age 15+)
logical advancement is rendered a
Urban Account Holders
distant fantasy for an industry fac- (Age 15+)
14.91 53.70 77.83 61.52 24.51 N/A
ing an economic crisis. Rural Account Holders
A more adaptive financial (Age 15+)
7.20 49.99 77.26 51.59 15.56 N/A
model and a focus on more produc- Mobile Money Account
N/A 29.01 10.44 6.09 8.54 3.13
tive capital investments, particular- (Age 15+)
ly in technology, will have a wide, Source: : The Global Findex Database
far-reaching impact that will bear
fruits for generations to come. It trepreneurship, value addition, education, gender parity and
will allow for a much-needed increase in our presently abys- effective resource allocation for economic growth – enabling
mal level of exports and will also tackle the increasing burden a sustainable exit from the path of recession upon which the
of unemployment at the root. country is currently treading.
When a bank account is opened, it's a step towards join- The impetus behind this proposal is the success of India’s
ing the economic mainstream. It is a sustainable mechanism revolutionary banking scheme, which continues to improve
to fast-track grassroots entrepreneurship, innovation and eco- financial inclusion even now. In 2014 Indian Prime Minister
nomic stimulus from the bottom up. With financial inclusion as Narendra Modi launched a plan to provide a bank account
the ultimate goal, Pakistan’s government should follow in the for every household in a landmark initiative to help the poor.
footsteps of Modi’s PMJDY, whereby the State Bank of Paki- (BBC) Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is India’s
stan opens up accounts with a pre-approved overdraft facility national mission for financial inclusion to ensure access to fi-
of PKR 10,000 that can be used as seed money for entrepre- nancial services, namely, a basic savings & deposit account, to
neurship. It is proposed that the State Bank may also provide access remittance, credit, insurance and pension in an afford-
an overdraft facility and debt moratorium for those unable to able manner. Under the scheme, a basic savings bank depos-
repay the loan in time. it account can be opened in any bank branch by persons not
In order for Pakistanis to be eligible for this scheme, they having any other account. Under the banking scheme, account
must currently have no bank account. The only document re- holders receive a debit card and accident insurance cover of up
quired to be presented when opening the account should be the to 100,000 rupees. They also get an overdraft facility of up to
individual’s CNIC, verifiable through NADRA biometric. As 5,000 Indian rupees.
for cases of an overdraft, interest can be charged on the PKR Few of the many benefits under PMJDY include: Opening
10,000 amount. However, in case of default, the government of one basic savings bank account for the unbanked person;
should step in to cover the amount. If this scheme is successful, No requirement to maintain any minimum balance in PMJDY
an estimated 50 million accounts will be opened, with a po- accounts; Interest is earned on the deposit in PMJDY accounts;
tential disbursement of PKR 500 billion. The current scenario Rupay Debit card is provided to PMJDY account holder; Acci-
wherein charges are applied to accounts with balances below dent Insurance Cover of Rs. 1 lac (enhanced to Rs. 2 lac to new
a certain minimum is detrimental to efforts for financial inclu- PMJDY accounts opened after 28.8.2018) is available with
sion, so this scheme will be free of any such charges. RuPay card issued to the PMJDY account holders and an over-
Investing PKR 500 billion into the people of Pakistan who draft facility of up to Rs. 10,000 to eligible account holders.
are currently unbanked and at the lowest rung of the econom- As per the latest government data, PMJDY now has 42.89
ic ladder is bound to have a multiplier effect on the economy, crore beneficiaries with ₹1,43,834 crores total balance. More
simultaneously enhancing opportunities for employment, en- than half of the beneficiaries are women (23.76 crore), while
28.57 crore are from rural and semi-urban areas.
A senior official of State Bank of India said the average
Interest Rate in Selected Regional Countries balance in the accounts, which is hovering around ₹3,000-
(July-2022) 3,500 across banks, is 'an indication' that the scheme has now
15% become a channel for savings for low-income families. The
Global Findex database of the World Bank has also shown a
12% 'substantial' increase in financial inclusion in the country after
2014. As per the index, 80 percent of people above 15 years
9%
of age in the lower-middle income group have a bank account
now, compared to 53 percent in 2014.
6%
Morawczynski et al. (2010) argues that financial inclu-
sion success should not only be limited to the withdrawal of
3%
payments from bank accounts. The term should also incorpo-
0%
rate the usage of accounts for undertaking economic activities.
Pakistan Sri Lanka Bangladesh India Vietnam Therefore, ‘full financial inclusion’ entails participating in a
wide spectrum of financial transactions, such as depositing sav-
Source: : Tradingeconomics

August 2022 GVS Magazine 37

 such as the World Bank and DFID as
75 Years of Struggle for Women well (BISP Report, 2014).
Known for being the country’s
main safety net program, BISP pro-
Pakistan is the country where The five countries with gender gaps vides transfers of Pakistani Rupees
women have the smallest share of larger than 5% are Qatar, Pakistan, (PKR) 26,000 per person annually
senior, managerial and legislative Azerbaijan, China and India.
roles (4.5 percent). that are received by around 5.3 million
women from low-income households.
Many governments in develop-
Research shows that women tend to
Less than half of all eligible contribute larger portions of their income ing countries have set financial in-
women participate in the labor to household consumption than their clusion as a fundamental policy goal
force, compared to 75 per cent male counterparts do. Targeting women in digitizing G2P flows (Bold, Porte-
of men. with financial inclusion can also benefit
households, communities, and society.
ous and Rotman, 2012). A case study
of the BISP in Pakistan showcased
The COVID-19 crisis caused Only with equal access to the full range
unprecedented job losses, hitting of needs-based financial services –
that transparency in delivering G2P
women the hardest, further savings, credit, insurance, payments – payments was the primary objective
widening gender gaps. Women do and the accompanying financial for digitizing BISP payments, while
not enjoy the same access to education, do women stand a chance of financial inclusion was a secondary
financial services as men. social and economic empowerment.
goal. Therefore, digital innovation is
not always the perfect solution or ‘sil-
There is also a gender Currently, only 13 percent of
protection gap, with fewer the staff of banks and 1
ver bullet’ for development.’ Incentiv-
women using insurance percent of branchless banking izing the disenfranchised segments to
than men. agents are women. open bank accounts and enter the for-
mal economic system, thereby boost-
ing entrepreneurship, is a sustainable
Gender Neutral policies in the A financial institution cannot mechanism to enable an uplift to the
financial sector have been adequately address the female
insufficient to reduce the gender market segment without addressing
economy.
gap in the financial sector. its internal gender imbalance. The need for a long-term policy
featuring lower interest rates cannot be
underestimated, and its implications
ings, accessing credit/insurance and making payments in the for a brighter econom-
banking sector (Ehrbeck, 2011; Bold, Porteous and Rotman, ic future that generates foreign currency, jobs
2012). and international recognition cannot be denied.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, penetration in the financial sec- We need more investments in Pakistan, along-
tor is extremely low, with only 2.4 percent of the population side holistic policy reforms that lend confidence
having access to credit from formal financial sources. Out of to investors and the markets. This need cannot
the total adult population of Pakistan, the financially excluded
Online Version
be met with an interest rate of 15 percent.
population make up 53 percent.
Although financial inclusion is usually categorized as
access to formal financial services, in developing countries, Dr. Gohar Ejaz is the Patron-in-Chief
including Pakistan, a significant proportion of people prefer of APTMA, the premier textile industry
and have access to informal finance. Informal access can occur association of the country. He is a prominent
through the organized sector (though committees, shopkeepers, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and industrialist
moneylenders, etc.) or through friends and family. An estimat- who has worked for the betterment and growth
ed 19 percent have voluntarily excluded themselves through of Pakistan’s economy for over 30 years. For
lack of understanding or need due to preference, poverty, or
religious reasons. his dedication, passion, and significant services
BISP holds the largest database of underprivileged fami- to the community, he was awarded Sitara-e-
lies in Pakistan - recorded by the National Database and Reg- Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan.
istration Authority (NADRA) after conducting the largest and
first-ever door-to-door poverty survey. Since we seek to pro- Mr. Shahid Sattar, is the Executive Director
pose a similar scheme, it is important to analyze the benefits & Secretary General of All Pakistan
and constraints of BISP so that we are able to utilize an up- Textile Mills Association (APTMA),
graded version of a tried and tested model for Pakistan. Dr. largest exporting group in the country, has
Atika Kemal’s research paper, titled “Mobile Banking in the previously served as Member Planning
Government-to-Person Payment Sector for Financial Inclusion Commission of Pakistan and an advisor
in Pakistan," provides a comprehensive framework for us to to the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of
develop a new and improved model based on an understanding
of the impacts of BISP.
Petroleum, Ministry of Water & Power.
The poverty score card survey assisted BISP in identify- Eman Ahmed is an Economist at APTMA with
ing 7.7 million households categorized as the ‘poorest of the a BSc Honors in Economics and Political
poor’ (BISP Report, 2014). Primarily funded by the Govern- Science from LUMS. She has published over
ment of Pakistan, BISP disbursements crossed PKR. 70 billion 50 articles on topics ranging from export-
by 2015. It continues to receive unprecedented financial and
technical support from multilateral and bilateral donor agencies led economic growth to private investment,
taxation and energy.

38 GVS Magazine August 2022

August 2022 GVS Magazine 39
 Banking Sector of Pakistan on
75th Anniversary of Nation: A Snapshot
he effect of the recent downturn in the economy - with

T a worldwide rise in commodity prices, spiraling ener-

gy costs and political instability since the "No Confi-
dence Motion" in March 2022 followed by the sudden
fall of an elected government – on the banking sector has yet
to be understood and documented. However, the banking sec-
Habib Bank
Limited
tor till the end of 2021 looked promising. Despite the 2019-21
pandemic, banking assets grew, driven by record remittances, a National Bank
Meezan of Pakistan
construction boom and the sale of cars, tractors, and other auto- Bank
mobiles. The pandemic saw an increase in mobile banking. At
the end of 2020, the Capital Adequacy Ratio of Pakistani banks
was around 18.6 percent, well above the required 11.5 percent.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is the Central Bank of Table A: Top 6 Banks in Pakistan
Pakistan. It is responsible for regulating the monetary and cred-
it system of the country and is instrumental in securing mone-
tary stability and reasonable utilization of the country's produc-
tive resources. Pakistan's banking sector, regulated under the
State Bank of Pakistan, comprises Commercial Banks, Foreign Bank
Banks, Islamic Banks, Development Financial Institutions and Alfalah
Microfinance Banks. By the end of 2021, the banking industry
constituted around 31 banks, of which five were Public Sector MCB
Banks, 22 were Private Banks, and 4 were Foreign Banks. Bank

40 GVS Magazine August 2022

Overview of top six banks in Pakistan banking services and is a leading player in the debt-equity mar-
Habib Bank Limited was the largest Bank by assets at ket, investment banking, agriculture financing, retail financing,
the end of 2021. It operates through its wide network of 1,751 and treasury services. The Bank is majorly owned by the State
branches and 2,007 ATMs and provides services in the areas of Bank of Pakistan, which holds 75.20 percent voting rights as
Branch Banking, Corporate Banking, Retail Financing, SME, per the shareholding pattern as of December 2017.
and Investment Banking. It is headquartered in the financial Meezan Bank, third in the overall list of top banks, is
capital of Pakistan i.e., Karachi. The Bank has branches in var- Pakistan's first and largest Islamic Bank which commenced
ious countries, including Europe, Australia, the Middle East, its operations in 2002 after being issued the first-ever Islamic
America, Asia, and Africa. The shares of the Bank are listed on
the Karachi Stock Exchange.
Table B: Total Number of Schedule Banks
Originally established in 1941, HBL moved its operations
Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited
to Pakistan in 1947 at the request of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the
nation's founder, hence becoming the first commercial bank to Allied Bank Limited
lay its foundation in the new country. Embarking on a progres- Askari Bank
sive journey, HBL continued to grow and expand in successive
Bank Alfalah Limited
years. The Bank's first international branch opened in Colom-
bo, Sri Lanka, in 1951, while the iconic HBL Plaza building Bank Al-Habib Limited
commenced its operations on 4th September 1971 – for quite BankIslami Pakistan Limited
a while, it was the country's tallest building attracting tourists Citi Bank
from all over the nation and represented confidence of a gen- Deutsche Bank A.G
eration.
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
With a sizeable domestic share, HBL was nationalized in
Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited
1974 by the Bhutto government. The Bank became a trendset-
ter in the banking industry, acquiring the lion's share in inward Faysal Bank Limited
foreign remittances and a major market share in loans to small First Women Bank Limited
industries, traders and farmers. In February 2004, the Bank was Habib Bank Limited
privatized, and management control was handed over to AK-
Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited
FED. By April 2015, the Government of Pakistan divested its
Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited
entire shareholding of 41.5 percent through the Privatization
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Commission of Pakistan, making HBL Pakistan's largest pri-
Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan
vate Bank.
HBL has not just been a pioneer in the banking industry JS Bank Limited
but has also been a platform that has enabled dreams for mil- MCB Bank Limited
lions of people. It has time and again proven to be a catalyst MCB Islamic Bank Limited
for change by initiatives that have elevated Pakistan's image Meezan Bank Limited
and reputation. From bringing back international cricket to National Bank of Pakistan
Pakistan through HBLPSL to helping strengthen the economy
Public sector schedule banks[edit]
of the country through historic initiatives such as the Ehsaas
National Bank of Pakistan
Emergency Cash Program, HBL continues to enrich lives. In
the ongoing economic crunch, instead of downsizing as many Bank of Punjab
industries have done, HBL has launched a new credit initiative Sindh Bank
for its employees; you can find details in another story covered Bank of Khyber
in this issue. First Women Bank
National Bank of Pakistan, founded in 1949, is the larg- Public sector non-schedule banks[edit]
est state-owned bank operating in Pakistan and second in terms Bank of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
of its overall assets. It has an extensive branch network of over Private banks
1,509 branches in Pakistan, a global presence in 11 countries, Askari Bank
and representative offices in China and Canada. The Bank acts Allied Bank Limited
as a trustee of public funds and agents to the SBP. It is head-
Bank Alfalah
quartered in Karachi. It provides commercial and public sector
Bank Al Habib
Faysal Bank
Habib Bank Limited
Habib Metropolitan Bank
JS Bank
Samba Bank Limited
Silkbank Limited
Standard Chartered Pakistan
Soneri Bank
Summit Bank
United Bank Limited
MCB Bank Limited

August 2022 GVS Magazine 41

 Pakistan's Banking Sector comprises
Table C: Islamic Banks in Pakistan
Commercial Banks, Foreign Banks, Allied Aitebar Islamic Banking
Islamic Banks, Development Financial Meezan Bank Limited
Institutions and Micro-finance Banks.
The industry constitutes around 31
Soneri Mustaqeem Islamic Bank

banks, of which five are public sector

Dubai Islamic Bank

banks, 22 are private banks, and 4

Al Baraka Bank

are foreign banks.

Bank Alfalah Islamic

BankIslami Pakistan Limited

Askari Bank Ltd

Commercial Banking license by the State Bank of Pakistan. It MCB Islamic Banking
operates under the principle of Islamic Shariah and is recog-
nized for its product development capability, Islamic Banking UBL Islamic Banking
research, and advisory services. It provides a wide range of HBL Islamic Banking
Islamic banking products and services through its wide retail
branch network of more than 815 branches across Pakistan. National Bank of Pakistan
Bank Alfalah is the fifth largest private Bank in Pakistan
Bank Al Habib Islamic Banking
and commenced banking operation on 1st November 1997. It
operates with more than 719 branches across Pakistan and has Bank of Punjab Islamic Banking
an international presence in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Faysal Bank (Islamic)
and a representative office in UAE. The Bank is owned and op-
erated by the Abu Dhabi Group. MCB Bank Limited is one of HabibMetro (Sirat Islamic Banking)

the oldest and top banks in Pakistan. Founded in 1947 and was Silk Bank (Emaan Islamic Banking)
nationalized in 1974 as part of the Government of Pakistan's
economic reform movement and was later privatized in 1991.
The Bank has been conferred with the prestigious Euromoney Table D: Foreign Banks
Award for Best Investment Banks in Pakistan for two years
Deutsche Bank AG Germany
(2016 and 2017). It provides commercial banking and related
products and services in Pakistan, South Asia, the Middle East, Citi Bank N.A United States
and Eurasia. The Bank has a customer base of approximately 4
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited
million and total assets of around PKR 1.91 trillion in 2021 and
operates through a wide branch network of more than 1,400 Bank of China
branches. The Bank is headquartered in Lahore, Pakistan.
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank United Kingdom
United Bank Limited, founded in 1959, is one of the old-
est and largest commercial banks in the private sector in Paki- Standard Chartered Bank United Kingdom
stan. It operates through a wide network of more than 1,390
branches across Pakistan and has an overseas presence in more
than 19 countries. The Bank is engaged in commercial banking
and related services and is headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. Table E: Microfinance Banks
UBL's shares are listed on all three stock exchanges of Paki-
Finca Microfinance Bank
stan, and its Global Depository Receipts (GDR) are listed on
the London Stock Exchange. The Bank employs more than Mobilink Microfinance Bank
10,000 people and is committed to providing the best banking
experience to its clients. Khushhali Microfinance Bank
Pakistan's Banking Sector comprises Commercial Banks,
NRSP Microfinance Bank
Foreign Banks, Islamic Banks, Development Financial Institu-
tions and Microfinance Banks. The industry constitutes around Telenor Microfinance Bank
31 banks, of which five are public sector banks, 22 are private
banks, and 4 are foreign banks. A scheduled bank – a term orig- U Bank Microfinance Bank
inally in use since the pre-partition India – is one that maintains Sindh Microfinance Bank Limited
a paid-up capital of Rs. 500 million. Table B provides a list.
Many Pakistani banks provide Islamic banking solutions Apna Microfinance Bank
through accreditation licenses from the State Bank of Pakistan; First Microfinance Bank Limited
Table: C provides a list of such banks and is followed by Table:
D and Table: E, which provide a complete list of Foreign and Pak Oman Microfinance Bank
Microfinance Banks that are currently operating in Pakistan, Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank
respectively.

42 GVS Magazine August 2022

"Laws are the spider webs through which big flies pass but the little ones get stuck"
- created by La Fem Nikita, using AI Art Generator.

August 2022 GVS Magazine 43

44 GVS Magazine August 2022
 HBL ‘Bank with a Soul’ – Stands hand in hand
with its employees
he past couple of months have been difficult for the Furthermore, they have implemented a staff transport loan

T Pakistani economy. Globally high oil prices and com-

modity prices have hit the economy hard: petrol prices
almost doubled at the pumps, inflation is running at
double digits, high current account deficit, massive rupee de-
preciation, and plummeting exports, with July exports at $2.2
policy for all employees. In addition to the existing staff car
loan facility, they will also be entitled to avail of a motorcycle
loan up to Rs 200,000/- at 0% markup. This is designed to as-
sist staff in reducing their commuting expense and encourage
the use of electric motorbikes. They are also in the process of
billion versus $2.9 billion from June along with energy load launching the HBL Share Sawari, which will be an in-house
shedding have resulted in businesses across the country laying carpool solution that has been developed to allow HBL em-
off thousands of employees, or asking them to take salary cuts. ployees to share the vehicle amongst themselves.
At this time, it is positive to see HBL going the other way
and thinking of ways to help its employees during this chal- HBL growing strong each decade
lenging period, despite the steep tax imposed on the banking These policies also enhance and synergize with HBL’s
sector in the June budget. HBL is the country’s largest commer- broad focus on encouraging environmentally sustainable ini-
cial bank and employs over 15,000 people. It is probably one tiatives. An example of the importance they give to this can
of the largest employers not only in the financial sector but also be seen when in 2020, they announced they would not finance
overall in the private sector. any new coal projects. Within its bank branches, it has a poli-
A ‘Bank with cy of reducing the
a Soul’ is HBL’s Steps Undertaken by HBL to carbon footprint to
motto, highlight- Provide Financial Assistance to Its Employees zero by 2030 and
ed only a few is moving towards
months back in solar panels where
its first-ever Sus- An in-house car pool
possible.
tainability report, Financial Assistance
to over 15,000 employees
solution launching soon. HBL is a go-
Enriching Lives, ing concern for
Interim HBL
released in June. Ad-hoc Support Share Sawari
over 81 years now.
In line with that Initially founded in
motto, HBL re- 1941 in Bombay,
cently announced after partition, it
a policy to help its moved to Karachi
employees count- and since then has
er the inflationary gone from strength
scenario. to strength, with
HBL has an- every decade in-
nounced several Travel
creasing its mar-
measures to help Transport Loan Cost Revision ket capitalization,
its employees. Motorcycle loan of upto Enhanced reimbursements brand power, pres-
These include Rs. 200,000 at 0% markup tige, and ability to
short-term instant hire and train an
measures and international stan-
Source: HBL
those that will dard workforce.
have longer-term It has acted as a
benefits for employees. nursery ground for other banks within the country, with many
Immediately they announced Interim Ad-hoc Support, senior Bank personnel having spent initial years in HBL and
which is financial assistance that will be paid in two tranches for many people who have moved to international organiza-
in August 2022 and October 2022, to over 15,000 employees at tions worldwide.
senior manager and levels below. In addition, given the sharp The Bank’s current strategic thrust, as highlighted in its
increase in petrol prices, they have issued a revision in their Enriching Lives report, highlights the importance of people’s
travel reimbursement policy for employees, and reimburse- agenda and giving back to the community and country. There is
ment for official travel has been enhanced to Rs. 30/km for cars hope that these steps taken by HBL to look after its employees
and Rs. 10/km for motorcycles. can catalyze other organizations in all industries to follow suit.

August 2022 GVS Magazine 45

 Zeeshan ali khan
CEO & Co-Founder of Zameen.com

Dr. Moeed sat down with Zeeshan Ali Khan, a successful Pakistani entrepreneur. He launched Zameen.com with his
brother, together both have almost single handedly transformed the real estate sector of Pakistan.

46 GVS Magazine August 2022

G
VS: Zeeshan, usually the Pakistani people who
receive higher education from overseas tend to
work for Investment banks, multinationals or
World Bank etc. So, looking at your profile, I was
wondering how you came to choose the real estate sector?
How did you hit upon the idea of Zameen.com when there
was no such service provider in the country?
Zeeshan Khan: We are in an IT enabled sales transaction
business. IT has always been our basis so we can build systems
that can ease the process of transactions and at the same time,
make people more aware of what they are doing. We started
back in 2006 before which, there was no database of informa-
tion available to help people deal with properties.
I was in UK with my family where I started my first IT
business for buyers and sellers. Globally, IT was growing
and different housing portals were being developed for better
consolidation of information. The public was becoming more
aware and educated and then the internet introduced classified
portals where people could work for agencies and the buyers
could use the available data to make a good decision regarding
buying or selling of properties.
In Pakistan, however, there was a lag to the extent that
there were no categorized sectors or information available on
properties. So, after spending around a decade in the UK, I and
my brother moved to Pakistan and started Zameen.com which,
for the first 5 years, was more like a call centre. The property
sector is quite unique in Pakistan as there are more plots here as
compared to built properties whereas in the world, people are
more inclined towards buying built property.
GVS: Are housing societies that sell plots only popular in
Pakistan?
Zeeshan Khan: No, there are developers outside as well
but they mostly sell houses on mortgages. Making your own
maps and building your own houses is not as popular in foreign
countries as is in Pakistan. Here it is only for the elite class who
has enough money to hire architects and builders.
GVS: Talking about the investment vehicle, the prices for
properties keep increasing. For example, a plot that was
worth 1.5 crores back in the day could be sold today for 40
crores. Why does this happen and will it continue?
Zeeshan Khan: Yes, it will keep happening unless and
until we change the property market dynamics. Globally, the
August 2022
property markets are usually prone to volatility where they see
an upward trend, then a downward trend and sometimes the
markets crash. There are trends where a property bought ten
years ago would come back to its original price, the reason for
which is the economy. People here tend to hold on to their prop-
erty because it is dear to them. People have no liabilities, no
mortgages and no leasing and that is why there is no pressure
on people that would keep them from holding on to properties.
Hence, when they do sell their property, they expect profits.
GVS: So, the absence of banking market and mortgages is
responsible for the current property market dynamics in
Pakistan?
Zeeshan Khan: Yes. This is why the property prices keep
increasing in Pakistan. However, the prices of properties in Pa-
kistan are still low as compared to other countries. But since
our per capita income and purchasing power is low, more peo-
ple in Pakistan are now feeling the pressure of ever-increasing
property prices.
GVS: Why is there no concept of mortgage in Pakistan?
Zeeshan Khan: It is too much of a risk for banks since the
decision making in Pakistan is weak. This makes our market
non-volatile. On the positive side, it makes our property market
very strong and resilient in the face of any changes. As a result,
in weak economic situations like the present one, this market
becomes our hedge against inflation and default.
GVS: Looking back at 75 years of Pakistan, do you think
Pakistan is in the right direction when it comes to property
market and real estate vis a vis the rest of the world?
Zeeshan Khan: Recently, we have seen the right kinds
of trends popping up. Karachi is one of the biggest cities in the
world and it was rightly undergoing vertical development. But
then, issues arose and infrastructure was not developed in a
way as to enable Karachi to vertically develop further. Instead
of one big city of Karachi, two separate cities should have been
developed. Looking at Lahore, we can see it was only devel-
oped horizontally which is not good in the long run. Lahore
is around 18,000 km2 with a population of around 12 million
whereas Mumbai is 6-700 km2 with a population of around
18-20 million.
GVS: So, is it right to say that besides Islamabad, no other
GVS Magazine 47

city was planned as it should have been?
Zeeshan Khan: There have been efforts to do so but even
in such cases, the plans were not long-term as they did not con-
sider future possibilities. We have often missed the target by ig-
noring infrastructure, road networking, logistics management.
As a result, only developers have worked in real estate in our
country and no authorities have come forward to contribute se-
riously. That is why housing societies are popular in Pakistan.
GVS: So, what do you think the development authorities of
different cities have been doing all this time?
Zeeshan Khan: They are more focused on receiving ap-
provals and in doing so they have ignored future possibilities
and population growth in terms of planning and development.
While bringing in international methods to deal with the issues
here, it should be kept in mind that the local needs are very
different and require different solutions. This is one reason our
48 GVS Magazine August 2022
real estate market did not evolve the way as it should have.
GVS: What do you thinks should be the government’s role
in helping the real estate market of Pakistan?
Zeeshan Khan: The more developed the country and the
market is, the bigger the role of the government. Government
has to make and enforce regulatory laws, work on bylaws,
make sure that housing can be affordable for the general pop-
ulation. The authorities should also take proper measures to
accurately forecast the future. For low-cost housing, building
cost of houses have to be reduced by bringing in innovation and
new technology.
GVS: What happened to the previous government’s low-
cost housing programme?
Zeeshan Khan: The success rate was low because con-
struction cost cannot be significantly lowered. Instead of the
low-cost housing, people should have been given subsidized
loans and bank mortgages should have been introduced. The
State Bank of Pakistan was asked for loans of about 406 billion
rupees in total out of which only 200 billion was approved. At
the end, only 500-600 properties were made affordable.
GVS: As you suggested, there is an ongoing housing crises
and affordability issue in Pakistan. What do you think is
the solution?
Zeeshan Khan: The solution to these problems is to cre-
ate subsidized schemes, promote them and make them afford-
able for people while keeping in mind that the construction cost
in Pakistan is low as compared to other countries. An apart-
ment in Mumbai, for example, would cost about 60-70 thou-
sand rupees per square foot for an average apartment whereas
a very high-end apartment in Gulberg would cost your around
20-25 thousand rupees per square foot. So, the point is, creating
opportunities to get better properties by working on bylaws and
August 2022 GVS Magazine 49
mortgage is important.

GVS: Many people are concerned that the real estate sector
will stop growing due to the depreciation of rupee against
dollar and according to what you are saying, that will not
happen.
Zeeshan Khan: Yes, it cannot happen and if you ask me,
I am least concerned about rupee depreciation affecting the real
estate sector of Pakistan. It might slow down the transactions
because consumer sentiment is affected by rupee devaluation.
However, the transactions shall continue because as it is said,
50 percent of property dealings are documented while the other
50 percent are not. The dynamics of the real estate market are
built in a way that the investments in this sector are safe so the
cash-based market is non-volatile and stable. So, the property
prices are either stable or go up, but do not fall.

GVS: Are transactions costs transparent throughout the

world?
Zeeshan Khan: Yes, these are recorded and also have
registries. You can also go on a portal and get the history about
the price of a certain property. We have certain authorities and
private housing schemes in Pakistan which sometimes do not
like to share data publicly.
GVS: Zameen.com has been working for 16 years now.
How do you think you and Zameen.com have contributed
to the real estate sector of Pakistan?
Zeeshan Khan: First of all, through this medium I would
to say that it is not just me, Zameen.com is a team effort and all
of us as a family have done this. Zameen.com has made enor-
GVS: Tell us about the Plot finder that Zameen.com had
launched some time back.
Zeeshan Khan: So, there is no data base of geo cognitive
map available in Pakistan. Our Plot finder is a work in progress
and we have mapped over 2 million unique address points in
the Plot finder which will fulfil the need for geo cognitive map.
With our block finder, one can now find the exact location of
a block. We are also adding more address points to the Plot
finder. In addition, there are many localities especially old ar-
eas that do not even exist on a map and do not houses have no
designated numbers. We are using block finder to help solve
these issues.

GVS: This actually brings me to another question. The land

that is under CDA, DHA or any other authority is import-
ant in the sense that these lands have proper sectors, streets
and house numbers. But the agricultural land only has
khasra number, etc. and such things are not used elsewhere
in the world. What is the solution?
Zeeshan Khan: The only solution is to build a complete
database and map it out. There is work being done in this area

mous contributions in the sense because we have mobilized

the market and we have educated the people specially expats.
People who are investing in Pakistan can receive so much in-
formation through Zameen.com. We launched an index a few
years ago, so Zameen.com actually gives you complete insight
into the property market because we have educated the market
by skill, better research and we have search trends available. In
this sense, Zameen.com has actually enabled the market to take
better decisions and has also brought the trend of transparency
into the market. We make sure all the tax compliance and there
is a lot of hard work that has gone in. We have built latest sys-
tems for our teams so that Zameen.com can be more efficient.

50 GVS Magazine August 2022

but there are a lot of gaps that need to be bridged.
GVS: Could you make any recommendations in this regard
to the government in order to generate new ideas?
Zeeshan Khan: It all comes down to the will of the gov-
ernment. If there is a good will to accomplish something good,
the techniques or strategies that have to be implemented in or-
der to resolve these issues are not that complicated. They have
done some good work and we as a private institution are work-
ing on it too. But the database and transparency are something
beyond our control and it is only something that the authorities
can work on.
GVS: Does Zameen.com have any other technological
products in the pipeline, like the block finder?
Zeeshan Khan: We have done a lot actually. Zameen.
com has built certain tools which the market is not even sav-
vy enough to use. The block finder, for example is more often
used by agencies to get information through the database than
the public who merely uses it as a map. We also have a tool
which can help investors but unfortunately, we are still living
those days where word of mouth is taken more seriously than
researched and authentic data. Zameen.com is working with
5-6 thousand employees at the moment and according to what
I have seen in the market, we are not in the habit of reading or
researching due to a lack of proper training in our education
systems. We are currently building a construction calculator
which will help estimate the cost of construction in order to
help the market. But the market should be able to apply these
tools in order to benefit from them.
more discussions on the situation of our country as compared
to the real estate market. The people who went with us on the
2019 expo very much liked the exposure, opportunity and in-
teractive environment even though 70-80 percent of them had
not previously travelled abroad. Many of them stayed back to
conduct business and increase their market size. Due to the in-
creasing negative consumer sentiment, it is the right time for
an expo.
GVS: You have presence in Middle East and North Africa
(MENA region). Could you tell us more about it?
Zeeshan Khan: We are more focused in UAE which is
a flagship market. We have presence in Morocco and then in
Indonesia. We are also focusing on working in the far East and
a few other countries like Egypt. We have learned a lot about
classifieds and their working in the UAE. We also have our
presence in Saudi Arabia whose market is not very structured.
In Indonesia, we are doing property transaction business in pri-
mary space which no one had ever done there before. So, we
are learning new things and applying and deploying them in
order to build value which will make a stronger profile.

GVS: In Pakistan, around 65 percent population is less than

35 years of age. I do not see the young girls and boys owning
houses of 1-2 Kanal. What is the future market structure?
5-10 Marla houses?
Zeeshan Khan: Yes, you are right. Maybe houses even
smaller than 5-10 Marlas and smaller units that are more af-
fordable. Apartments in Dubai used to be 1000-1200 square
feet but now they are launching 600 square feet apartments. In
the west too, there are small houses of 1-2 Marlas. There is an
issue of community space here. Private developers create com-
munity space but it is not supported in Pakistan. To youngsters,
I would say that property is a stable market because here, asset
value is quite stable.
Sometimes it is not good for the market because we need
more buyers coming into the market and in order to have that
influx of buyers, we need a mortgage market. Youngsters
should build up their plans and avail any loan opportunity to
invest in real estate.

GVS: Zameen.com held a property expo back in 2019 in

Dubai which I also attended. You are planning another
expo for September 2022 in Dubai. Why are you organizing
the expo after such a long gap and why is it taking place in
Dubai?
Zeeshan Khan: The gap actually happened because of
COVID-19. We had planned an expo last year but had to can-
cel just a few months before because of the uncertain situation
regarding lockdowns. We chose Dubai because it is a hub and
GCC has more expats than Europe and America.
So, taking about almost 60-70 developers from Pakistan,
mobilizing them, putting them onto a platform in the world
trade center, which is the place for all expos, then bringing in
local masses to interact with. From what I think, there will be

August 2022 GVS Magazine 51

52 GVS Magazine August 2022
 Pakistan has been blessed with a
A
ny sport, just like the arena of war, brings out the
profound and deep seated human sentiment. It stands
for the Darwinian struggle that lies at the heart of vibrant culture of sports. It is truly
life but not without imparting the essential virtues
of sacrifice, humility, perseverance and fortitude. It instills in said that history of Pakistan's sports
the heart and mind the vigour and zest that are indispensable
companions on the arduous paths of every human endeavor. It
is nothing short of a Promethean saga.
would not be an understatement that a country without a sport- It is a unique blend of several lows and
many highs. Despite financial woes
and morbid economy there has never
been dearth of individual talent. The
dominance in the fields of cricket,
hockey, squash and snooker speaks
volumes about the resolve and capacity
of this otherwise beleaguered nation.

ing tradition is a mere conglomeration of listless individuals
devoid of a living soul. Luckily Pakistan has been blessed with
a vibrant culture of sports. It is truly said that history of Pa-
kistan's sports is nothing short of a Promethean saga. It is a
unique blend of several lows and many highs. Despite financial
woes and morbid economy there had never been dearth of in-
dividual talent. The dominance in the fields of cricket, hockey,
squash and snooker speaks volumes about the resolve and ca-
pacity of this otherwise beleaguered nation. One wonders how
grand the scale of success would be in the absence of these
political and economic shackles. To say the least, among few
other good things, sports had always been the best part of Pa-
kistan's existence: it not only earned the country many a laurel
but also bestowed upon it fame and popularity amidst the co-
mity of nations.
eight times and the British Open six times. He made the record
for the longest victory streak in the World Open as well as one
of the longest streaks without a loss for any athlete competing
in top-tier professional sports. Jansher spent 513 weeks as the
top-ranked squash player in the world. He won 99 professional
titles, eight World Open titles, and six British Open titles.
Jahangir Khan is another Pakistani legend that graced the
squash courts and ruled them for over a decade. Jahangir was
unbeaten in every competitive match from 1981 to 1986. He
won 555 consecutive matches, the longest winning streak by
any athlete in any top-level professional sport in history as per
records of the World Guinness Record. He won ten consec-
utive British Open championships. He remained unbeaten at
squash’s most prestigious tournament between 1982 and 1991.
Hockey
In its national sport, Pakistan used to rule the world. What
Pakistan has achieved in the past 75 in hockey is a thing to
marvel. In Olympics, from 1956 to 1972, Pakistan hockey team
played every final and earned two gold and three silver medals.
From 1956 to 1984 Pakistan won a medal in hockey in every

Squash
Squash is the only "Single Player's Sport" in which Pa-
kistan has established a reputation on a global scale. Squash
has made the nation proud so many times in the past 75 years.
Pakistan has absolutely dominated squash like no other country
in the globe for the best part of five decades. Between 1950
and 1997, Pakistan managed to win more than 30 British Open
titles, 14 World Open titles, and many PSA professional titles.
Squash in Pakistan achieved remarkable heights of success
during the dominance of Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan
in the 1980s and 1990s, despite the fact that they weren't the
game's first players to succeed at it.
Jansher Khan set a record by winning the World Open

August 2022 GVS Magazine 53

Olympics. Pakistan has won
eight out of ten medals in
Olympics through Hockey,
three gold, three silver, and
two bronze.
Pakistan won gold
medals in 1960, 68 and 84
Olympics, Silver in 1956,
64 and 72, and Bronze in
1976 and 92 Olympics.
Pakistan also owns the
world record of winning
four international Hock-
ey world cups in 1971, 74,
78 and 94. The National
Hockey team has been the
runner-up in the world cup
editions of 1975 and 1990.
Pakistan has the highest win
percentage in world cup his-
tory. The country has won
53 out of 84 matches while
7 ended up in draw and lost
only 24 matches.
Pakistan has also won the International Champion Trophy
three times in 1978, 80 and 84. The National Hockey field team
also owns the record of winning eight gold medals in the Asian
Games. Pakistan defeated India in the finals of 1958, 1962,
1970, 1974, 1978, 1982 and 1990 to win the prestigious medal.
Pakistan’s corner specialist Sohail Abbas holds the record
of scoring the most goals by an international player in Hockey.
Sohail is the only player in international hockey to score more
than 300 goals for his team. He was also the fastest to score
100 and 200 goals, whereas he also holds a supreme record of
one double hat-trick and 21 hat-tricks in international hockey.
Sohail is regarded as the ‘King of the Drag Flick’, making him
the ultimate penalty corner specialist.
Snooker
In 1994, Pakistan won the first significant victory in
Snooker when Muhammad Yusuf won the world amateur
snooker championship. Yusuf won the ACBS Asian Snooker
Championship of 1998 which was held in Pakistan after defeat-
ing Thailand’s Prasom Ritthiprasong 8-7 in the final.
Pakistan also competed in the Asian Games snooker
events in 1998 in Bangkok. Shokat Ali won the gold medal in
the singles competition before teaming up with Saleh Moham-
mad to take home the bronze in the doubles competition. In the
team competition, the Pakistani squad, which included Shokat
Ali, Saleh Mohammad, and Farhan Mirza, also took home a
bronze medal.
The 2006 IBSF Seniors/Masters World Championship in
Amman, Jordan, marked Pakistan's next significant triumph
abroad. Mohammad Yusuf, who triumphed 5-4 over England's
experienced ex-professional Gary Wilkinson in the thrilling fi-
nal, was Pakistan's hero once again. This was Pakistan's first
significant Masters' event victory on the world stage.
For Pakistani snooker, 2010 marked the start of an incred-
ible decade. In the same year, Pakistan’s Muhammad Sajjad
was runner-up in the ACBS snooker championship held in
Thailand. Two years forward in 2012, Muhammad Asif defeat-
ed Gary Wilson in the IBSF world snooker championship in a
thrilling final to become the new world champion.
Pakistan also won the 2013 IBSF World Teams Snooker
54 GVS Magazine August 2022
Championship held in Ireland. Pakistan’s team of Mohammad
Asif and Mohammad Sajjad defeated India 3-1 in the quarter-
finals, Ireland 3-2 in the semi-finals and Iran 5-3 in the final.
Pakistan snooker had yet another fantastic year in 2019.
Zulfiqar Qadir and Babar Masih of Pakistan Team '2' defeated
India 3-2 to win the 7th Asian Team Snooker Championship in
Doha. In the IBSF Snooker World Team Cup held at the same
venue, Pakistan again remained victorious over India, when
their team of Bilal and Asjad Iqbal won the final 3-1.
In March 2022, Pakistan’s Ahsan Ramzan won the IBSF
world snooker championship after defeating Iranian Amir
Srkosh in the final at the age of just 16. Ahsan Ramzan is the
youngest player in history to win the title. This was the fourth
IBSF snooker title by a Pakistani.
Cricket
In a deeply polarized nation on political, ethnic, social, and
religious grounds, cricket is perhaps the only force that unites
the country every time Pakistani team enters in the ground to
play a game of cricket. In the past 75 years, Pakistan’s crick-
et history evolved similarly to the country’s own history. At
times, it looked like the gloomy days would never end and then
at times green shirts behaved liked there is no force that can
stop them from achieving what seemed impossible.
Pakistan cricket has achieved many accolades in its histo-
ry. From defeating England at his home ground in England in
1954 to draw the test series to defeating India for the first time
in world cups in 2021, Pakistani team presents a rich history.
Despite the continuous challenges, Pakistan cricket team has
achieved what only few would have forecast.
Pakistan played first game of international cricket in 1952
against India. Since then Pakistan has played 446 test games,
942 ODI matches and 190 t20 internationals.
Pakistan has won and ODI world cup in 1992 under the
captaincy of Imran Khan. Younis Khan led Pakistan to win a
t20 world cup in 2009 in England where green shirts defeated
Sri Lanka in the finals. Pakistan defeated India in 2017 Cham-
pions Trophy final under the captaincy of Sarfraz Ahmad. Paki-
stan has been runner-up once in ODI and t20 world cup.
Pakistan’s Hanif Muhammad holds the record of playing
the longest test innings in terms of minutes. He batted for 970
minutes against West Indies at Bridgetown, Barbados in the 1st Pakistan’s former test captain and right hand batter Mo-
Test from 17-23 January 1958. hammad Yousuf also known as Pakistan’s run-scoring machine
Pakistan’s legendary left arm fast bowler and former cap- of his time owns the record scoring most test runs and most test
tain owns the record of highest individual score while batting centuries in a calendar year. In 2006 he scored 1788 runs in just
at number 8 position in a test match. He scored 257 not out 11 test matches, including nine centuries and three fifties at an
against Zimbabwe in 1996. He smashed 12 sixes in the inning average of 99.33.
which is also the record of most sixes in a test inning by a bet- Pakistan’s former captain and a legend of the game Waqar
ter. He is the only in the history to have scored a double century Younis holds the world record of most five-wicket hauls in
and also dismissed more than 400 batters in test matches ODI cricket. He has dismissed five or more than five batters
Wasim Akram holds the record of most wickets at a single on 13 occasions. He has also been successful in taking fourteen
ground. He has taken 122 wickets in 77 games at Sharja during four-wicket hauls in ODIs. Waqar also owns the best bowling
his international career. Left arm pacer was the first player to figure by a captain in an ODI. Skipper picked 7 wickets against
have hat tricks both in ODI and test, a record which was leveled England for just 36 runs in 2001.
by another Pakistani pacer Muhammad Sami. Javed Miandad holds the record of scoring nine consec-
utive ODI fifties. An-
other Pakistani leg-
end Zaheer Abbas,
famously known as
Asian Bradman and
a prolific run-scorer
in the 1980s for Pa-
kistan holds record
for the most runs in
a four-match ODI
bilateral series. He
made 346 runs at
an average of 86.5
and a strike-rate of
124.90 that series.
In 1982, in a series
against India where
the Tests and ODIs
were played alter-
nately, Abbas made
five successive inter-
national hundreds.
He is the first Paki-
stan batsman to get to
the landmark of 4000
Test runs, and then
the first to 5000. He
is still second on the
all-time rankings in
ODIs with the rating
Swing of Sultan owns the record of highest wickets in test on 931 only four points behind Sir Vivian Richards.
and ODI cricket by a left arm fast bowler. He has 414 test wick- Pakistan’s former test captain Younis Khan is the only
ets and 502 ODI wickets to his credit. He is widely considered batsman in 145 years of test cricket to score 5 centuries in 4th
as the greatest fast bowler of all times. innings of the test.
Pakistan’s speed start Shoaib Akhtar famously known as Pakistan’s former off spinner Saqlain Muhtaq hold the
Rawalpindi Express owns the record of the fastest delivery in record of taking fastest 250 in ODI cricket. It took just 138
international cricket. On February 22, 2003 Akhtar record- matches for the mystery spinner to reach 250 wickets.
ed the fastest ever delivery in world cricket, clocking 161.3 Pakistan also owns the record of producing the youngest
kmph/100.23 mph, during a match against England. bowlers to produce hat-tricks across formats. Aqib Javed at the
Pakistan’s former captain and star all-rounder Shahid Af- age of just 19 became the youngest bowler to achieve a hat-
ridi holds the record of most sixes in ODI cricket. He has hit trick in ODI cricket. Interestingly Mohammad Husnain, anoth-
the ball out of boundary for 351 times in ODIs. He has hit 476 er young Pakistani pacer is the youngest bowler to achieve the
sixes across formats in international cricket. Only Chris Gay- same accomplishment in the T20 format also at the age of 19.
le is ahead of him. Afridi also held the record of fastest inter- Nasim Shah a young speed star achieved this milestone in test
national century for about 17 years. He smashed century on cricket against Bangladesh at the age of just 16 years in Febru-
just 36 deliveries against Sri Lanka in his second international ary, 2020 in Rawalpindi.
match. He also became the youngest batsman at 16 years and Imran Khan averaged 52 with the bat and 20 with the ball
217 days to score an international century. He is also the only in 48 Tests as Pakistan’s skipper and his phenomenal record
player to have scored more than 8000 runs and taken more than earned him a place in Wisden’s all-time Test XI.
350 wickets in ODI cricket.

August 2022 GVS Magazine 55

 Water Mismanagement and the
Private Sector’s Role in Finding
Sustainable Solutions Zainaab Basil

Water management is hugely inefficient due to poor policies and archaic agricultural practices where redundant
farming techniques and crop combinations result in massive water wastage. The harsh reality is that even
though there is no shortage of water, we are losing the ability to effectively use it.

P
akistan is no stranger to water issues. The common
man would believe the issues are a result of lack of wa-
ter, but in reality, it’s a case of water mismanagement
more than availability.
Water mismanagement has always been a challenge, es-
pecially for developing countries like Pakistan. It is perhaps
the most understated global security risk the world faces today.
Without water, there is no life, and this issue is leading to an
urgent, existential issue.
Water’s management remains inefficient largely due to
poor policies archaic agricultural practices where poor farm-
ing techniques and crop combinations result in massive water
wastage. Therefore, despite the size of the oceans remaining
unchanged and rain remaining frequent, millions are losing ac-
cess to usable water. The harsh reality is, water continues to
surround us, but we are losing the ability to effectively use it.
Globally, ineffective agricultural practices level have ag-
gravated the mismanagement of water. According to the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
over 70% of all water withdrawal is attributed to agriculture,
and this waste is even higher (95%) in developing nations.
The Pakistani agriculture industry’s impact has been in
line with these statistics, with its consumption of more than
90% of the nation’s freshwater and wastage of 40-50% of it
within the irrigation process.
Water is a shared resource and that begets that any issues
related to water are also addressed collectively. Though sta-
tistically industries consume very little percentage of water

56 GVS Magazine August 2022

 While the mismanagement of water
(when compared to agriculture), companies whose raw mate-
rials come from agriculture need to play their part in reducing
water wastage. is concerning, the stepping up of the
Nestlé Pakistan is one company that is doing exactly that.
They have been working on water efficiency for years. The private sector has indeed created a
company’s efforts were concerted under its Caring for Wa-
ter-Pakistan (C4W) program in 2017. The program focuses on
growing safety net too. There is hope that
three major areas: agriculture, factories and communities. In consistent technological advancements
2021, the company followed up on its commitment to replenish
water with a Water Pledge, in which the company committed to will enable Pakistan to become an
regenerate the water used by its waters business, and have a net efficient user of its watershed and avoid
destruction, followed by water loss. With
positive impact by 2025.
Within the agriculture sector, Nestlé has partnered with
key stakeholders – farmers, the federal and Punjab govern- examples like Nestlé and US Apparel
ments, LUMS and others – to install drip irrigation mecha-
nisms on 198 acres of farmland, as well as Smart Soil Moisture there remains a trickle of hope in this
Sensors on 455 acres. fight against the water crisis.
Drip irrigation, an alternate to conventional flood irriga-
tion, allows farmers to target plantation and directly relay water
to specific locations. Furthermore, Smart Soil Moisture Sen-
sors, which send moisture content reports to a digital cloud,
enable operators to know exactly which locations require more ter. Leading manufacturers such as Artistic Fabric Mills, Sap-
water, thus saving on any water that may contribute to over-ir- phire Group and US Apparel & Textiles Pvt Ltd have opted to
rigation otherwise. source their raw materials from Better Cotton Initiative (BCI),
Such innovative solutions ensure that the most wasteful the largest cotton sustainability program in the world. Among
sections of industry are accurately identified, and then efficient- other things, BCI trains farmers on using efficient irrigation
ly supported to remedy water wastage. practices to optimize water productivity using drip irrigation.
Not only will initiatives like these facilitate a long-term US Apparel is also certified by the AWS, with other leading
macro-level solution to the impeding water issues, but they are manufacturers in process of getting the certification.
also extremely beneficial for small-scale farmers who are able While the mismanagement of water is concerning, the
to utilize advanced technology. stepping up of the private sector has indeed created a grow-
Nestlé’s subsidization and support have enabled farmers ing safety net too. There is hope that consistent technological
like Mr. Moazzam who owns and operates Al-Rehan Dairy advancements will enable Pakistan to become an efficient user
Farms near Kashmir, convert 9.72 acres of farm to become of its watershed and avoid destruction, followed by water loss.
eco-friendly. He now has a system solar panel installed for en- With examples like Nestlé and US Apparel there remains a
ergy, uses, drip irrigation, and Smart Soil Moisture Sensors. “I trickle of hope in this fight against the water crisis.
would encourage more farmers to opt for advanced technology. These efforts are in line with Sustainable Development
Not only does it conserve our resources, but also helps slash Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 - ensuring ‘Clean Water
operational costs tremendously,” he explained. and Sanitation,’ SDG 13 - contributing to ‘Climate Action’ and
Besides encouraging more effective SDG 17 - creating ‘Partnerships for the Goals’.
agricultural practices, Nestlé has other
streams under its C4W-Pakistan initiative
that have a more holistic approach. One of
these, is the factories agenda. Nestlé Paki-
stan became the first company in Pakistan
to have all of its sites receive the Alliance
for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification
to ensure responsible consumption of water.
This is further supplemented by their com-
munity initiatives. These include six Clean
and Safe Drinking Water Facilities provid-
ing free access to clean and safe water to
more than 60,000 people every day to vul-
nerable communities whilst also providing
mass education regarding sustainable water
use on an individual level.
Other players have also stepped up
to this challenge and adopted similar ini-
tiatives to those of Nestlé Pakistan’s. The
agriculture sector is intrinsically related to
the textile sector, which is one of the larg-
est manufacturing industries in the country,
as it relies on crops such as cotton and flex.
The industry is also heavily reliant on wa-
A farmer being taught to use Smart Soil Moisture Sensors to avoid over-irrigation of fields

August 2022 GVS Magazine 57

58 GVS Magazine August 2022
 From a Punjabi Village
to Washington!

Dr. Asif Mahmood

First US Pakistani for
Congress

Najma Minhas, Editor Global Village Space, got the opportunity to sit down for a talk with Dr. Asif
Mahmood, a Pakistani-American, and explore his journey as he runs for US Congress. The US
Congress has never had representation from a Pakistani or someone of Pakistani descent so far in its
history, although over the years, representation from the Indian diaspora has become more common.
Dr. Mahmood shares his experiences as he moved from a small village in Punjab to the United States.
and now standing as a candidate for the US Congress

August 2022 GVS Magazine 59

G
VS: You come from a small village in Pakistan,
and you've come to the United States. How was
this journey? And how do you feel the American
experience has transformed you?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: First of all, thank you so much for
giving me time, I really appreciate that. And to be very honest,
this is really a true American dream. If somebody has been to
a Pakistani Elementary School, where there's not even a room,
you sit under the tree, teachers are not trained, and they get
the opportunity, it shows that South Asia has really enormous
talent, both the genes and brains to succeed. If they get the
opportunity, they can excel. I definitely give credit to my par-
ents, my teachers, and the community who were there to help
me get out of there. I was the first from my small village to
go to medical school and come over here (to the US). I have
always been inquisitive all my life but when I came here, I
realized that we have doctors, engineers, business people and
other well-off people who have nice mansions, good cars and
everything, but they don't have real power because I don't see
any Pakistani in any elected position or in any political arena.
So, I got involved. And I've been involved in mainstream poli- Dr. Asif Mahmood pictured during his door to door campaign

tics for about 25 years.

GVS: What inspired you to join the mainstream politics?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: After I finished my residency, I start-
ed going to this doctors’ convention called “APPNA" (Asso-
ciation of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America),
where you would hear about the doctors who want to come
from Pakistan but there is an issue for US visa due to which
they cannot. Other than that, you would have to meet relatives
of somebody who needs a visa or somebody who is stopped at
the airport, and so many other issues. And we only went there
(to the doctors’ convention) to socialize, have nice food, wear
nice clothes and nice jewelry, listen to good music, and enjoy
ourselves for two to three days and then go home. About 18-20
years ago, when I was going to APPNA and I started getting
more involved in politics. People used to make fun of me peo-
ple, giggle behind my back, and say things like, "what the hell
is wrong with this guy?” “what is he doing?.” Obviously, you
start from something. I got involved in my own city’s local
politics. It was about 16 years ago when I was first elected as
a state party delegate, and there were hardly any South Asians
there. Then I got involved in different campaigns, knocking on
doors, phone banking, campaigning, and doing whatever need-
ed to be done.
I kept on moving up and up, from city council and state
representatives, to Congress and Senate. I was very actively in-
volved in many presidential campaigns. One of the campaigns
in which I was really involved was Hillary Clinton's first cam-
paign. She did not win the Democratic presidential nomination
election in 2008, and President Obama won the election, and
she was made Secretary of State. I was invited to meet with
her, and I was asked, “So you worked so hard in the campaign.
What can we help you with and how can we help you?” Usu-
ally, people would ask for an appointment or something but
honestly, on my mind at that time was the Pakistani doctors’
visa issues.
At that time, in around 2008, I told her that Pakistani doc-
tors had an issue- they passed the exam, got the job interview,
and got a job offer, but more than 60 percent of doctors were
denied visas. I also told her that this is not only an issue for
Pakistani doctors and their economic interests but also an is-
sue for the interest of America because America is deficient
in the number of doctors, and we need to really work on that.
Secretary understood; she really thinks about communities and
society, so she took it very seriously. And honestly, within three
years, 98 percent of doctors were getting visas.
GVS: Why do you think so few Pakistani-Americans go
into politics? As you mentioned, there's a huge prosperous
community, whether it's engineers or physicians, yet you
hardly see any Pakistanis in the political arena.
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Unfortunately, our mindset is still in
Pakistan. Pakistanis are only interested in what is happening

60 GVS Magazine August 2022

in Lahore and Islamabad and about the PTI, People's Party, or for them so that they do bigger and better things.
some other political party. They are only interested in meeting
and going to the mosque to meet with the Pakistani people they GVS: Tell us about your own congressional district. You're
already know. There is a phobia that I don't understand. They running from CA 40. Are you hoping to get the Pakistani
do not like to meet up with people who drink and dance, but vote? Is that what's driving that progress in your commu-
you don't have to drink and dance when you meet up with them. nity?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: So interestingly, I am running in a
GVS: So, you feel that Pakistani Americans are not inte-
district that is more than 98 percent non-Muslim and non-Paki-
grating within the mainstream American society, that is
stani. The district has less than 0.05 percent of Pakistanis and
why they're not coming into politics as well.
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Exactly, they just feel that if they are less than 1.5 percent of South Asians. When I was launching my
going to integrate themselves, their Iman will be disturbed. At campaign, I was talking to people and everybody was laughing
my home, I have hosted an enormous number of politicians, - Muslim Americans and some people in the mainstream, but
Secretary Clinton, President Clinton and Al Gore and so many also many people who knew me. Yet I decided to run and talk
others and I have never served any drink, and I don't drink ei- to many people, and they were encouraging, but most of Mus-
ther. Nobody has objected and actually, people appreciate that lim-Americans, Pakistani-Americans and many Saudi-Ameri-
we have our val- cans were kind of
ues. The sad part skeptical because
is that for 90 per- I don’t have my
cent of the Paki-
stani people, their community here
question is, “what and most people
is there in it for win because they
me?” They don't get 30-40 percent
understand that votes from their
what you have own community.
already gotten is One great thing
because of the ef- about America is
forts of so many that if you are ca-
people and so you
should think about pable, sincere, and
so many other honest, people will
people. Karma is look at that and
the biggest thing; will admire you
if you do good, and reward you for
good things will your work. I have
come to you. So been, as I said, ac-
now, if you're giv- tive for 25 years,
ing $1,000 contri-
and my major
bution or $5,000,
don't think about passion has been
what business or human rights, and
individual advan- regardless of fear
tage you will get. from anybody,
Dr. Asif Mahmood with his wife and children
that's what I have
GVS: So here in been doing in Cal-
the US, you feel that Pakistanis are not cohesive as a com- ifornia. So, when I decided to run and announced it; literally
munity and they are not thinking on a community level yet? three or four people were running from the Democratic Party
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Most of them are not. I see the num- and within two-three weeks, they went out of the election and
bers increasing and I see that more people are getting interest- endorsed me. Within a few weeks, I had more elected official
ed. People are realizing that it is very important for them to get endorsements than any other candidate in the country.
involved in politics because, in democracy, the real power is in
elected hands. And if either you are running (for elected office)
GVS: I read that within weeks, you had $500,000 and with-
or you are close to somebody who is running, you can help
your family, and you can help your community over here (in in the first month, you raised a million dollars; that is a
the US) and at home (in Pakistan). We (the Pakistani-Ameri- huge thing. So, what drove these people? Why were they
cans) are not doing this, but any community that has done it has willing to give you this?
progressed very well. There are so many obstructions as there Dr. Asif Mahmood: We highlighted my work. I sat on
are people whose main goal is to disrupt and distract people the largest homeless shelter in California’s board; I sat on the
from doing something good because they feel that their indi- UNICEF board; I sat on the largest community college in Cali-
vidual power will be gone and they feel insecure. What I am fornia's board, helping mostly Latinos and African Americans.
doing today, honestly, is not for myself. It is for the next gen- I was running a free clinic out of a church. Most Muslims do
eration who's coming and we will open doors of o pportunities
good things and honestly, the vast majority of Muslims do good

August 2022 GVS Magazine 61

things, but unfortunately, everything they want to do is for the
mosque. Whereas I was doing the free clinic in the church be-
cause more people could come there. I have done so many oth-
er things, including I was doing after-school tutoring about 15
years ago in a Latino school and many other things.
GVS: What are the big challenges that you face in your con-
gressional district?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Initially, people thought that there
would be challenges. When we went on, and within the first
quarter, we raised about 1.4 million. 70 percent of that money
was given by non-Pakistanis and non-Muslims. People thought
I knew politicians; I had got the endorsement from senior pol-
iticians and raised money, but they also thought that my name
was Mahmood, so who would vote for Mahmood in that 98
percent non-Muslim district?
GVS: Can people pronounce your name correctly? Was
that a disadvantage for you in your congressional district?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Now they can and three names cannot
be mistaken-Ahmed, Mahmood, and Mohammed. They cannot
Dr. Asif Mahmood pictured during his campaign for California's lieutenant
governor, 2018
62 GVS Magazine
be anything else but Muslims; I never thought about it for a
second because I was running for merit and for the work I have
done, in spite of the fact that my opponent spent $5 million in
the primary, a record number of dollars spent by a Republican
incumbent to save primary.
GVS: What are the issues that you are highlighting in your
district?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: When we launched the campaign, the
issues were healthcare, especially mental health issues, infla-
tion, and climate change, but now the issues have changed.
With the recent decision of the Supreme Court about Roe vs.
Wade, there are many, especially women of both reproductive
age and older women, who think that it is something that is tak-
ing back America and we are going behind. So, we see that this
issue is playing a more significant role than gun safety.
GVS: Do you think that this issue will play a significant role
only in your congressional district, or do you think it will
affect the overall November election?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: It will, definitely. We have polls after
polls showing Roe v. Wade coming up as a big issue. But mine
is one of the most competitive districts in the country at this
time, which means that anybody can win, so it's a really tight
election and we have gained a significant advantage because of
Roe vs. Wade.
GVS: One of the things that have been talked about in this
campaign is this concept of red to blue camp seats. What
does that mean?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: What happens is that both parties have
their congressional committee, which in the Democratic Party
is called DCCC. They are the committees that handle all the
congressional races over the country. They have a lot of money;
they evaluate races, which they can flip. So, races- the seats that
are presently held by Republicans, but can be flipped to blue,
are called red to blue for moving from Republican to Democrat.
In this cycle, the congressional committees picked six races in
the country and mine is one of them. And interestingly, mine
is one of the top races. That gives us a lot more authenticity,
credibility and resources, and the party will spend a lot of mon-
August 2022
ey. Many people who are sitting on the sidelines want to help
campaigns get a green signal. We have seen the change already,
and the DCCC is already investing in our race.
GVS: What are the general issues that are faced by Paki-
stani Americans, and if you were in Congress, what do you
think you could do?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: There are many issues, actually. I
mentioned earlier about the visa issue and immigration issues
which are the issues for mostly Pakistanis who are the first gen-
eration. These issues are obviously important for some people,
and we will take care, but our main goal is different. When I go
to the White House, State Department, or Capitol Hill, I hardly
see any Pakistani. There are a lot of Indian-Americans, a lot of
Asian-Americans, a lot of Filipinos and Latinos, but we don't
see our people anywhere. We don't have any representation.
Obviously, the American system is a little different. We are still
a new community in America, but we have done very well in
many different areas like Medicine- Pakistan has one of the
most liked doctors in this country. Pakistanis are also here in
IT and they are really excelling. They are also doing well in
business because they are passionate, sincere, and hardworking
people. But we have to make sure our children have the oppor-
tunity and liberty to decide their own career paths.
Most Pakistani Americans want their children to study medi-
cine because they see that as the only opening for them. When
Pakistani kids are in high school, they should have an oppor-
tunity to work and do internships with a judge, a Congress
member, or a Senator or go to Capitol Hill or somewhere else
where they have different opportunities. Especially when kids
are in college, we need to have more career options for them to
pursue. Similarly, Pakistani businesses are focused on certain
areas of small businesses such as gas stations, trucking, and
motels.
GVS: How do you think you can get more Pakistanis in-
volved in politics?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Once a person like me wins an elect-
ed position, it will boost so many Pakistani-American kids. If
someone like me who came from the remote village of Khari-
an and went to very basic schools can become a US Congress
Dr. Asif Mahmood with the former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
August 2022
member, then they can do it too. We need to make sure we
break the glass ceiling for them. If I can be a candidate run-
ning for Congress, and Hilary Clinton, former First Lady, US
Senator, Secretary of State and nominee for Democratic Party
for President, can host a fund raiser for me, it is a big thing to
have that event and it is a source of pride. That means if people
care about their work and if your mission is right, people will
respect that. So many more can do that and get involved in
politics.
GVS: How do you think you, being of Pakistani origin in
Congress, could improve relations between Pakistan and
the US?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: It is really important. When you only
analyze your relationships by doing a Google search by send-
ing in one staffer to go and read about it, maybe at most spend
a couple of weeks in Islamabad and come and give the report,
versus having a person who was born and raised in Pakistan,
who knows the chemistry of the community, the dynamics of
the society and what the people actually want, and understand-
ing what can bring and unite America and Pakistan together. As
a Pakistani-American Congress member, when I go to Islam-
abad, there will be a lot more trust because they will know that
I will not try to hurt them. Obviously, my top priority and my
first duty is the safety and security of America. But I will do
whatever I can to help Pakistan.
GVS: How can the Pakistani community help you? There
are 98 percent non-Muslims in your congressional district.
But throughout the US, is there something that the Paki-
stani community here can do, you feel?
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Definitely, and I honestly believe that
this is Pakistani-Americans’ duty and their obligation. We have
done everything needed. When I was deciding to run, they had
doubts. When I was getting endorsements, they still had doubts.
There's still a lot of doubt, but I have crossed the final bridge of
being in a red to blue seat where the whole Democratic Party is
saying that I have a great chance to win. The only thing which
can prevent us from winning is resources and Pakistanis, wher-
ever they are, they can give $1, they can give $5, they can give
$100, or they can give the maximum contribution.
Anybody can contribute, as long as they have a green card.
Being a US citizen is a requirement. They can be living any-
where in the country or anywhere in the world. I can tell you
that my campaign has received contributions from 50 states
and 99.9 percent of the contributions are from people I don’t
know and have never met. The dollar amount might not be that
large, but the number of people contributing is very large. The
Pakistani-Americans need to care about it and they should take
it to their group, their friends, their relatives, people who go to
mosque or church or wherever, they should tell them that they
need to invest. And honestly, this will be the best investment
they will be making. Not because I am running, but because
it is a Pakistani-American taking their message, the future of
their children, to the limelight, which will be helpful to them.
GVS: Dr. Mahmood, you are a trailblazer for the Pakistani
community and we wish you the best of luck.
Dr. Asif Mahmood: Thank you so much.
GVS Magazine 63
64 GVS Magazine August 2022
 Rivers of Blood & Tears through South Asian Fiction
Toba Tek Singh
Saadat Hasan Manto
Originally published: 1955
"Two or three years after the 1947
Partition, it occurred to the governments
of India and Pakistan to exchange their
lunatics in the same manner as they had
exchanged their criminals. The Muslim
lunatics in India were to be sent over to Pakistan and the Hindu and
Sikh lunatics in Pakistani asylums were to be handed over to India."
Tamas
Bhisham Sahni
Originally published: 1974
"A clay lamp stood flickering in
the alcove. Its tiny flame drooped and
again winked backinto life. Two bricks
had fallen from the wall where it joined
the roof, making a hole in it. As the
wind blew in through the hole the lamp would waver, casting
lurid shadows on the wall. Thenthe little flame would straighten
up on its own, sending up a thin column of soot."
Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie
Originally published: 1981
“I was born in the city of
Bombay… once upon a time. No, that
won't do, there's no getting away from
the date: I was born in Doctor Narlikar's
Nursing Home on August 15th, 1947. And the time? The time
matters, too.”
River of Fire
Qurratulain Hyder
Originally published: 1959/1998
“It was the first beerbahuti of
the season that Gautam had seen. The
prettiest of rain-insects, clothed in god’s
own red velvet, the beerbahuti was called
the Bride of Indra, Lord of the Clouds. This one was crawling upon
a blade of grass. A gust of easterly wind brought it rolling down
onto the sodden earth."
Midnight's Furies: The Deadly
Legacy of India's Partition
Nisid Hajari
Originally published: June 9, 2015
“Ahead, the jeep's Headlights
picked out a lonely stretch of railroad
track. The driver slowed, then, when
still about a third of a mile away,
pulled over and waited. All around wan stalks of wheat, shriveled
by drought and rust, trembled in the hint of breeze."
August 2022
Train to Pakistan
Khushwant Singh
Originally published: 1956
“The summer of 1947 was not
like other Indian summers. Even the
weather had a different feel in India
that year. It was hotter than usual, and
drier and dustier. And the summer was
longer. No one could remember when the monsoon had been so late.
For weeks, the sparse clouds cast only shadows. There was no rain.
People began to say that God was punishing them for their sins.”
Basti
Intizar Husain
Originally published: 1979
“When the world was still all
new, when the sky was fresh and
the earth not yet soiled, when trees
breathed through the centuries and
ages spoke in the voices of birds, how
astonished he was, looking all around, that everything was so new,
and yet looked so old."
Ice-Candy Man/Cracking India
Bapsi Sidhwa
Originally published: 1988
“My world is compressed.
Warris Road, lined with rain gutters,
lies between Queens Road and Jail
Road: both wide, clean, orderly streets
at the affluent fringes of Lahore.
Rounding the right-hand corner of Warris Road and continuing
on Jail Road is the hushed Salvation Army wall. Set high, at eight-
foot intervals, are the wall’s dingy eyes."
Savage Harvest: Stories of
Partition
Mohinder Singh Sarna
Originally published: 2013
“As he bent over the furnace
stuffed with hard coal, Dina’s iron-
black body shone with the sheen of
bronze; in fact he seemed to be moulded in bronze, resembling
some statue of a healthy labourer."
The Night Diary
Veera Hiranandani
Originally published: March 6, 2018
Dear Mama,
"I know you know what happened
today at 6:00 a.m., twelve years ago.
How could you not? It was the day we came and you left, but I don’t
want to be sad today. I want to be happy and tell you everything."
GVS Magazine 15
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