WASHINGTON, May 24: India is a role model in economic development and democracy and Pakistan hopes to match its neighbour on these attributes one day, says Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani.

“Is India modern in a way? Yes. Even in Pakistan, they make these comparisons. They say India is a role model in many ways. In democracy, it’s a role model. In economic development, it is a role model,” said Pakistan’s envoy to the US in an interview to USA Today newspaper.

“We hope that some day Pakistan will beat them in both of these things,” he added.Mr Durrani, however, also observed that as a secular state, India has fallen and is not a role model.

The ambassador, a retired general, blamed Pakistani politicians for failing to match India in democracy and economic development.

“Our political leadership was not as well developed. They had the good fortune of having a narrow family leadership guiding that country for 30 years. We had nothing,” said Mr Durrani.

“If we had that kind of leadership, we would have been the same because we are very similar people,” he said.