Fighting terror jointly

SINCE December 2004 Britain and Pakistan have been linked in the “Partnership for Peace and Prosperity” which, as its nomenclature suggests, strives to bring peace and security to the two countries and thus promote their prosperity. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s brief visit to Pakistan was designed to facilitate the third bilateral summit consultation within the framework of this partnership. While interactions of this kind

— Mr Blair met President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz — have a positive impact on bilateral relations, they also produce tangible results. In this case, Britain and Pakistan can feel pleased with their success in intensifying their economic cooperation. It has significance for Pakistan which values its ties with Britain considering the fact that the UK has taken special interest in this country.

Britain is the second largest foreign investor in Pakistan and their trade turnover is quite substantial — in 2005 it exceeded $1.5 billion. The UK’s department of international development is working actively to help Pakistan achieve the millennium development goals. It will therefore be widely welcomed that Mr Blair doubled his country’s development assistance to Pakistan — from £236 million to £480 million over the next three years. While this will be widely appreciated, it is felt in Pakistan that greater access for Pakistani goods to the British market would facilitate the development of the country’s economy to a greater extent by encouraging self-reliance and independence. Being tied to the apron strings of an aid-giver never helps a Third World country for too long.

The second issue that has emerged as being central to UK-Pakistan bilateral ties is security. Mr Blair and President Musharraf agreed to strengthen their cooperation in their fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and transnational crime. These evils are the bane of a number of countries. Given Pakistan’s geostrategic location, poverty and the misplaced priorities of the rulers in Islamabad, it is unfortunate that people supporting these unworthy causes have found a sanctuary in Pakistan. This has tarnished the country’s image besides affecting its economy, politics and security. It is only now that Pakistan has come to realise that the presence of these elements is as much a problem for it as for other states which come under attack. The Britain-Pakistan joint working group to be set up will promote cooperation between the two countries in fighting crime and terrorism which recognise no national borders. Pakistan and India, too, have recently set up a similar outfit to counter terorism. The US, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been working towards the same end through a tripartite mechanism. Since security matters are treated with great secrecy, one does not know how much success this approach has achieved and what the future prospects are. At some stage when it is considered feasible the participating countries could work out a format for greater coordination among themselves. Since 9/11 and 7/7 the dividing lines between various groups unleashing terror in the US, the UK and India have become blurred. If they have to be eliminated, it is essential that the various groups fighting terror share information. It is also important for all partners to realise that they share a common interest in fighting terror and should therefore act in unison. On no account should they seek to exploit terror to promote selfish foreign policy goals.

Rebuke for Israel

SYMBOLIC as it may be because of its non-binding nature, the latest UN General Assembly resolution calling on Israel to vacate the Gaza Strip and cease attacks on civilian targets reflects the world opinion on the on-going Israeli-Palestinian skirmishes. Adopted by a sweeping majority vote, with only the US, Israel and Australia opposing and the European Union supporting the resolution, it is a clear international indictment of the Zionist agenda in the Middle East: that Israeli response to the odd rockets fired into its territory by Hamas is highly disproportionate and controversial. The November 8 missile strike on the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun killed 18 civilians, including the elderly, women and children. Earlier, the US was quick to veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli action and asking it to cease such attacks. All these years — before, during and after the now stalled peace process — the US, by exercising its right of veto in favour of Israel, has emboldened the latter to continue its aggression against the largely unarmed Palestinians. The glimmer of hope seen in the 2002 roadmap-for-peace initiative backed by the quartet comprising the US, the UN, the EU and Russia has faded in the face of stubborn resistance put up by Israel, with tacit approval from Washington.

The long history of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation has traditionally had little to do with Islamist politics. The surprise victory of the Hamas militia in last January’s parliamentary election was a direct result of Israeli backtracking on the peace initiative and its policy of state terrorism. The change in the Palestinian leadership has worked only to the benefit of Israel, which has refused to enter into a dialogue with Hamas. The truth remains that while an extreme right-wing government in Israel is acceptable to the West, a similar one in Palestine, even if it is popularly elected, is not. The lesson that has eluded the policymakers in Washington is that double standards applied to the Middle East conflict will only further strengthen Islamic militants, not only in Palestine but also in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. This can only result in greater chaos and violence.

Smuggling of artifacts

THE seizure of over 600 relics by customs officials in Karachi is welcome news. The rare artefacts from the Indus and Gandhara civilisations, as well as antiquities from the British period, were bound for Sharjah but it was not disclosed who the senders were. It can only be presumed that a powerful lobby was behind the racket and they must be identified and brought to justice. The authorities must also ensure proper documentation of the recovered artefacts after which they should be handed over to the relevant authorities for safe-keeping. For too many years, precious artefacts have been stolen from the museums and excavation sites — sometimes bought by influential patrons for their own private collections but mostly smuggled out of the country. In January last year, a consignment containing Pakistani artefacts from the Gandhara period, bound from Dubai, was seized in New York. Six months later, Rs700 million worth of antiquities bound for Dubai was seized in Karachi. There are numerous other examples which point to the magnitude of the problem. Attempts to recover these national treasures have been negligible. The government has never made serious efforts to root out the corrupt elements in the customs department whose collusion with the smugglers allows the clearing and shipping of artefacts out of the country.

Just last week, archaeologists in Peshawar called for the documentation of Gandhara relics as a way to curb their smuggling. This would make it easier for the government to reclaim them if they are smuggled out. There are around 4,500 objects lying in storage at the Peshawar Museum and over 3,000 objects at the Swat Museum. These artefacts must be documented and security tightened at both places to avoid any theft or pilferage. Pakistan must make serious efforts to preserve its heritage and ensure that those who violate the law are severely dealt with for their crimes.

Promoting tourism in Pakistan

RECOGNISING the potential of tourism as a means of boosting national income in a relatively short time, the government has declared 2007 as “Visit Pakistan Year”. It has also set in motion a number of useful changes, including a liberal visa policy for visitors from “tourist friendly countries” and a generous depreciation allowance of 50 per cent for new investment in tourism.

Pakistan has an attractive coastline, three of the highest and most scenic mountain ranges in the world, cities that offer a variety of interesting products for sale, river plains, colourful deserts and many interesting historical and cultural sites. Our people are traditionally friendly and hospitable to strangers. So why is Pakistan one of the least frequented and most under-appreciated tourist destinations in the world?

The reported presence in Pakistan of some of the world’s diehard terrorists may have something to do with the dearth of tourists. A reputation for religious and cultural intolerance, undeserved by the population as a whole, does not help either. The third deficiency is that Pakistan lacks the infrastructure that a modern tourism industry demands. Power failures are common, speeding buses on crowded highways are a menace to passengers, pedestrians and smaller vehicles, the railway system is old, decent accommodation is scarce and costly, and the natural environment is becoming degraded.

Not surprisingly, in 2004 only 648,000 foreigners visited Pakistan, generating revenues of $186 million, as compared to India’s 3.5 million visitors who generated receipts of $6.1 billion. In 2006, the number of visitors to Pakistan increased to 798,000 but earnings, surprisingly, remained the same. The reason for the small volume of receipts is that a large proportion of the visitors are overseas Pakistanis, not genuine tourists.

Pakistanis, who frequently travel abroad, may wonder why countries with similar cultural and religious backgrounds are able to attract so many more tourists. For example, Egypt hosted 8.6 million tourists in 2005, who spent $6.5 billion, in spite of deadly bombing attacks in the Sinai, while over 17 million tourists are expected to visit Turkey and generate $16.5 billion in 2006.

To promote tourism in Pakistan requires a multi-pronged approach. As a first step, we should encourage Pakistanis to become tourists in their own land, instead of being the most lavish spenders in Britain. The government has to provide better security, good roads and railways, and the private sector has to provide many more clean hotels and motels without degrading the natural environment.

Tourism is not, however, just a five-star hotel or Nanga Parbat’s Fairy Meadows, an air-conditioned luxury coach or a beautiful beach. When tourists buy a holiday package in Pakistan, in a sense they buy the whole of Pakistan from the moment they walk to the PIA counter at Heathrow or JFK or Narita airport, until they reach Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar or Islamabad airport. If the personnel manning the PIA counter appear aloof and the toilets get clogged during the flight, the tourists are bound to feel cheated.

Tourists tend to be afraid of being hustled or intimidated by impoverished people. Moreover, faulty policies, bad planning, overpopulation and poverty cause environmental degradation. Karachi in the 1950s and 1960s was an attractive tourist destination for the Gulf Arabs, and many European airlines landed there. No more.

Exiting the rustic Islamabad airport terminal building and encountering hustling taxi drivers and thousands of people milling around is enough to intimidate visitors from more orderly societies. Tourists will feel comfortable in Pakistan only if we constantly improve our facilities and management.

Provision of adequate security in the form of escorts and partial segregation as in Egypt could mitigate the problem of security. An extreme example of successful segregation is the reservation of island resorts in the Maldives exclusively for tourists. Consequently, the tiny Saarc country with a miniscule population of 300,000 largely traditional Sunni Muslims is able to host as many outside visitors as Pakistan and collect four times the revenue, although Pakistan is five hundred times more populous.

Pakistan has many outstanding destinations that could be considered for development, such as the Kalash valley at Bumboret and the hot springs in Chitral; Fairy Meadows and the Diamir base camp at Nanga Parbat; Hunza and the rest of the Karakoram highway; upper Kaghan valley, including Lalazar plateau and Lake Saiful Mulk; and the upper Swat valley beyond Kalam. Resorts along the lines of Shangri-La in Skardu, the Bhurban Inter-Continental, or the Heavenly Lake near Urumuchi in Xinjiang, China, may be developed at these sites.

Apart from targeting Europe, North America and Japan, we need to make special efforts to attract tourists from China, Malaysia and the Arab world. The tourism ministry has drawn up comprehensive plans to take advantage of Pakistan’s assets by converting potential demand into actual visits. Even India is being targeted as a source of tourists. This is a mature and healthy way to improve relations with our long estranged neighbour, and to generate revenue, without compromising our core interests and issues.

The Gulf Arabs have shown their liking for Pakistan at the highest levels by building palaces in the desert and by spending their winter holidays indulging in falconry. An effort should be made to induce upper middle class Arabs to visit Pakistan for their holidays. The government should intensify its efforts to promote special tours to religious shrines and festivals.

Our people are justly proud of the mountains of Pakistan. In the West, however, people like to escape the frosty winters and head south to enjoy the sea, sand and sun. The Red Sea resorts of Egypt, for example, receive many European tourists who spend hundreds of millions of dollars indulging in water sports.

Investment by the Gulf states has played an important role. For example, the ruling family of Abu Dhabi helped finance the super deluxe Sofitel Hotel at Sharm el Sheikh in the Sinai peninsula. Many other three, four and five-star hotels cater to hundreds of thousands of Egyptians and Europeans. A fleet of around 50 modern boats is available to take tourists for snorkeling, fishing and sightseeing.

From November to February, the climate along our coast is exceptionally mild. Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast is known for its varied and prolific marine life and sports; angling could become a lucrative source of foreign exchange. The government should select a few beaches between Karachi and Gwadar that have clear water. Responsible investors associated with the best hotel chains may be invited to set up a flagship project each with the target tourists to be from the investor’s own country or region. Investment will be forthcoming from China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, the Emirates, Qatar and Oman if attractive sites are offered.

Appropriate tourism and conservation policies are necessary for success. Eco-tourism should be a part of the marketing campaign. Facilities should be provided to tourists to observe tropical fish, large marine turtles and other marine wildlife. Close proximity to coral reefs and other structures affording protection to fish would be desirable. Marine life sanctuaries will have to be created. For example, the area adjacent to Churna island near Karachi, which is a naval testing area, may be declared a national aquatic sanctuary.

In the interest of security, some of the areas selected for tourism may be segregated, with provision for guided shopping tours and sightseeing. At the same time, the interests of the locals must be protected by giving them preferential treatment for employment in the tourism projects.

The government and the private sector have to act in concert to remove the obstacles to lucrative tourism in Pakistan. Based on the experiences and friendly advice of the most successful businessmen in Islamic countries who have made a fortune in tourism, the following practical measures are recommended in order to establish a viable tourism industry in Pakistan:

Firstly, Pakistan needs to develop close relations with the tour operators, as almost 80 per cent of world tourism is through package tours. Tour operators have to be persuaded to visit Pakistan and select sites for development.

Secondly, in tourism projects at least 80 per cent of the investment should be the equity and only 20 per cent bank loans. This will ensure financial stability in case tourists do not turn up in any particular year.

Thirdly, the rate of return on the investment should be at least six per cent over the compound interest rate. In case the compound interest rate in Pakistan is 18 per cent, the minimum profit should be 24 per cent.

Fourthly, it is desirable that local investors should team up with foreign investors on a 50-50 basis.

Fifthly, as Pakistan has shown negligible success in tourism, the risks will be correspondingly higher; incentives in the form of tax breaks in addition to a 50 per cent depreciation offered by the government may be necessary.

Lastly, the government has to think big and set a target of two million tourists in 2012. In order to absorb so many additional tourists, major investments in roads, hotels, airports, railways, airline facilities and other related sectors will be necessary.

The traditional hospitality of our people needs to be reinforced through education. People have to be convinced of the need to welcome tourists and to make them feel at home. The biggest stake that they can have is the profit motive. Secondly, adequate budgetary allocations for the improvement in the infrastructure must be made. If we play our cards right the income from tourism could reach a couple of billion dollars by 2012.

The writer is a former ambassador