Once a foreign economist had remarked that Pakistanis are poor by choice and not by destiny and that is true to some extent. The main regulator of any business is the government, but in Pakistan, it is some time on and some time off, leaving the business organizations in a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in the face of certain government policies. The political leadership seems bewildered with its own conditions and traditions in which it wants all the credit of good work to itself and will never be ready to share its success with a political rival. As a consequence, one government makes a progressive policy and the next government breaks it and launches its own development policy to meet the same fate once the yet another government comes in. This circle of make and break is going on since independence and this culture of denial is not going to end in the foreseeable future. The people are the ultimate losers.
According to newspaper reports, the federal government is ready to roll back the Pakistan Textile City project in Karachi. The project launched 11 years ago is a classic example of the current government apathy towards the projects of vital importance launched by a previous government. Spreading over an area of 2,500 acres, the city was to be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to facilitate the textile industry in the mega city. However, the project which was launched to enhance the country’s export ended in fiasco at a time when China Pakistan Economic Corridor is under construction and foreign investors are preparing to invest in the country. The proposed city still lacked basic facilities of electricity, water and gas and it seems to rescind the project is the only option with the government. It is hoped that the government will look into the matter again and will set up the textile city not only in Karachi but also in Lahore.
The country needs health, industrial and education cities across the country. This is the only way to turn Pakistan into a developed nation and the government cannot do it all alone. It should take the private sector into confidence to launch mega projects in the country. The government should also revise its energy policy and should avoid to consider it as an earning sector. There is no doubt setting up of industries is not the government’s responsibility, but it must facilitate the entrepreneurs to setup industries. The economies in the region are fast growing and we should not refuse to learn from their experiences. If the country’s economy is on the verge of takeoff, let it be for the sake of the nation. A textile city is need of the hour.
