Creation of Pakistan was an achievement that was unbelievable for many and yet after 75 long years of independence, Pakistan was a land of opportunities with an unprecedented talent to rise and emerge as one of the most developed countries of the world, despite the
\nchallenges confronting its course, said Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed. He was addressing the inaugural session of a 2-day National Seminar titled \u201cKaleidoscope: 75 Years of Pakistan\u201d organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS). The event featured discussions on
\nPakistan\u2019s history, internal challenges, non-traditional challenges, foreign policy issues, economy
\nand media. Senator Mushahid said that 75 years into independence were a watershed moment to
\nreflect on the series of challenges impending the country\u2019s path to growth and development.
\nSome of the major issues still lingering on he added, were education with a literacy rate of 58 per
\ncent that needed to improve, political instability which was a precursor to several other challenges
\nand lastly, foreign policy adventures which had historically proven rather costly for the country
\nand its people. Despite these challenges and many others, Pakistan was a country that reflected a
\ndichotomy of a soft state but a very strong society, said Senator Mushahid. He added that our
\nleaders had significantly learnt from the mistakes committed in the past while our people were a
\nresistant nation, refusing to give in the test of time.
\nDr Yaqoob Khan Bangash, Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University while reflecting on the
\nforthcoming years asserted that the biggest challenge confronting Pakistan at present were weak
\ninstitutions and hence, not everything could be entirely blamed on the uncertainties within the
\npolitical system. He said that democracy and investment in the democratic culture were
\nimperative for Pakistan to move forward and compete with the world. While corruption was an
\neasy target to blame for all the ills, a bright future for this great country only required strong rule
\nof law and stronger institutions to ensure their implementation instead of mere infatuation with
\neradication of corruption, he said. Ambassador Dr. Major General Raza Muhammad, President
\nIslamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) said that Pakistan was amongst the most resilient
\ncountries across the globe to be standing tall despite having endured endless challenges including
\nthe menace of terrorism. He expressed his hopes for a bright future of Pakistan with its youth
\nleading from the front.
\nDr Tughral Yamin, Associate Dean Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS) at
\nNational University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) highlighted the relevance of geo-
\nstrategy in Pakistan’s foreign policy. He was of the opinion that the foreign policy had always
\nbeen a victim of bloc politics and that the country\u2019s alignment with distinct blocs had proven
\ndetrimental to its internal peace. However, he added that Pakistan was a strong and resilient
\ncountry which had always stood up to all the stringent challenges. The contemporary challenges
\ncould be resolved by making Pakistan a hub of education and industry, he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Creation of Pakistan was an achievement that was unbelievable for many and yet after 75 long years of independence, Pakistan was a land of opportunities with an unprecedented talent to rise and emerge as one of the most developed countries of the world, despite the challenges confronting its course, said Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed. He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":175274,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[10198,659,20],"class_list":{"0":"post-278073","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"tag-mushahid-hussain","9":"tag-opportunities","10":"tag-pakistan"},"yoast_head":"\n