Speakers at a seminar
have underlined the need for enhancing regional trade among the South Asian
countries, saying that the region is rich in resources and yet it is facing
significant stress and shortage in water, food and energy sectors. They were
addressing the fifteenth Three-Day Sustainable Development Policy Institute
(SDPI) conference titled 'Sustainable Development in South Asia: Shaping the
Future', which started here on Tuesday.
Federal Minister
for Defence Syed Naveed Qamar acknowledged that trade among the South Asian
countries could help alleviate poverty in the region for which people-to-people
contact was vital. "We need to look into deeper regional integration
whereby not just the merchandise but our people particularly youth and
communities can interact with each," he added.
"This is the
way it used to be some three centuries back and it is time now that we should
learn from our histories where mutual respect and honour allowed us to co-exist
and prosper", said the defence minister. The minister said that today
South Asia was the least connected region in the world and its connectivity
indicators were even poorer than Sub-Saharan Africa.
"If we continue
to be as distant as we are today, our children may never be able to interact,
talk, meet and play with their children in the neighbourhoods. Such a lost
opportunity will be synonymous to a youth stolen in the name of history's
baggage," he added.
He said that Pakistan
was undertaking a foreign policy in the new emerging realities in the best
interests of the people of Pakistan and development and prosperity in the
region. "We value our relationship with the powers in Asia. Pakistan has
played an active role in SAARC for the formalisation of the processes towards
setting up a food bank and supporting other regional arrangements including
South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), he said adding that Pakistan's terms
with India were improving fast.
Speaking as keynote
speaker on 'national diversities and regional dimensions,' former Information
Minister, Javed Jabbar said that the region needs to bank upon commonalties and
needs to think and act collectively. He argued that decision taken today will
directly affect the future of South Asia, adding that the 'future is what
unfolds today.' He identified seven elements essential in shaping the future of
South Asia, including environmental security; economic equity; moderating
consumption; democratic reforms for greater accountability and improved
governance; respect for all religions and ethnicities; military restraints by
India, Pakistan and other countries to strengthen cross border peace and civil
supremacy in the region, and lastly greater social stability. He also suggested
the introduction of a 'Green Budget' by the Finance Minister before the
presentation of the fiscal budget in the parliament.
Dr Abid Suleri,
Executive Director, SDPI said let us imagine what the world would look like in
2030. By all predictions, it would be a radically different place from what it
is today. For instance, the number of human beings would rise from 7.1 billion
to about 8.5 billion; the percentage of people living in the urban areas would
increase from 50 percent to about 60 percent; the number of those falling in
the middle income category would expand from one billion to over two billion.
And all this together would dramatically increase the demand for resources -
food, water, and energy.
He said that the
Conference is not just about the future. It is also about how over the last 15
years this annual event has assumed the highest and most important place in the
development calendar of Pakistan. And even more important is that how the SDPI
has survived, and successfully delivered on its fundamental objectives, in an
environment hostile to institutionalisation, vulnerable to the whims of
policymakers and dependent on the changing donor policies and priorities in
Pakistan.
Earlier, Dr Saeed
Shafqat, chairman Board of Governors, SDPI welcomed participants of the
conference and said, 'For a prosperous and secure future, South Asia needs to
move away from an 'economy of war' towards an 'economy of peace'. Hence, an
inclusive and equitable economic growth must be ensured through redistribution
of power structures, he added.
In the concurrent
session on 'Will media be a catalyst for change', Badar Alam, said that the
government and other influentials subsidised the media through advertisements.
However, he said the size of expenditure to run the electronic media was very
enormous which could not be met only through advertisements. There must be some
other source other than advertisements, he said.
Panellists at the
session 'Will the media be a catalyst for change?' discussed the role of the
media in stimulating change in society. They unanimously agreed that forms and
formats of media are changing rapidly. Mohammad Malick from Dunya News was of
the view that the media is a catalyst for change, but it depends upon which
side of the picture is being looked at. Farrukh Pitafi from News One said that
even if there are laws regarding the media they are not relevant and
rational."
Moneeza Hashmi,
President, Commonwealth Broadcast Association said that over the years, radio
channels have mushroomed providing information and entertainment. Badar Alam,
Editor Herald said that "journalism is going to get worse before it gets
better." Fahad Hussain from Waqt News talked of the role of advertisements
in influencing media content and maintained that often the media is used by
certain groups through their financial influence.
During the session
on public financing of education in Pakistan, Hamza Abbas Research Analyst at
SDPI said that public expenditure on education is directly linked with economic
growth and tax revenue collections. Zohair Zaidi from Oxfam GB said that donors
must make aid flows more predictable and reliable. Tassaduq Rasul, Country
Director Action Aid Islamabad said that to improve education, it is essential
to build an accountability mechanism, tracking systems and education management
concepts.
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