Pushing the Press

Wonder how Riaz is going to spin this...and pakiland's low ratings in the world economic forum's global competitiveness index.

Of course, economic freedom means less than competitiveness...and regardless of indexes, reality gets the final call...india with it's reliances and infosys' and wipros and pakiland with....zilch...

Economic freedom shrinks in Pakistan

LAHORE: The level of economic freedom in Pakistan has squeezed further during the last one year, says the Economic Freedom of the World Report 2009, which ranks the country 110th on the Economic Freedom Index.



The report, which measures degree to which policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom, ranks 141 nations representing 95 per cent of the world’s population for 2007, the most recent year for which data is available. Pakistan’s ranking has been lowered from 104 from a year earlier due to decline in its overall performance in the areas of legal structure and security of property rights, access to sound money and freedom to trade internationally.



Pakistan lags far behind India’s ranking at 86 on the index and Sri Lanka’s 105th.



The report released here on Monday by the Alternate Solutions Institute, the country’s first free market think tank, says Pakistan’s overall score this year fell to 6.01 on a scale of one to 10, representing a decline of 0.04 points the previous year.



But at the same time, the report points out that the country’s performance improved a little in areas relating to the size of government and regulation of credit, labour, and business.



The report ranks Hong Kong on top of the list followed by Singapore and New Zealand. Zimbabwe once again has the lowest level of economic freedom, followed by Myanmar and Angola.

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Re: # 258: Santani "Just their bad luck that the civilians could not get aid."

I wrote an article for Chowk on this subject of the effects of foreign aid on economic growth. It's also posted on my blog "South Asia Investor Review".

Many econometric studies in recent years have supported the view that foreign aid has no effect on economic growth in recipient nations. It is other factors, such as good policies and improved governance that brings in the necessary private capital which is much more effective in growing economies. Under Musharraf, most investors and businesses had confidence that boosted economic growth through dramatic increases in FDI, portfolio investments, increased remittances etc.

While government and multilateral financial institutional programs do help to some extent, it is the privatization of aid, trade, remittances and investments for the poor through various investors and donors, such as private corporation, foundations and the immigrants working in the rich countries, that provides the best hope to ensure that the funds and the practical benefits reach the intended recipients. Such a strategy minimizes the role of the politicians and the corrupt officials in both the donor and the recipient nations.

Dambisa Moyo, a former economist at Goldman Sachs, and the author of "Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa.", recently argued in a Wall Street Journal OpEd that "money from rich countries has trapped many African nations in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty. Cutting off the flow would be far more beneficial."
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 258: Santani "Just their bad luck that the civilians could not get aid."

I wrote an article for Chowk on this subject of the effects of foreign aid on economic growth. It's also posted on my blog at
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 257
"The two communities were different and remained different through out".

Usual parroting by Pakistanis to justify the two nation theory.

In continent sized India it has always been regions and not religions that have divided the nation. A Punjabi Hindu or Sikh relates better to a Punjabi Mussalman despite underlying animosity ( had it not been for the partition, they would have gelled extremely well). Similarly a Muslim from Kerala would any day prefer Malayali Hindus or Christians as friends because he has nothing common with the Punjabi Mussalman.
Even in Pakistan the independence of Bangladesh or the ongoing movement in Baluchistan clearly show how strong the regional pulls are.
During partition when the army units were being assigned to the respective armies of India and Pakistan, a Punjabi Mussalman soldier was not given a choice of staying with the Indian army. Whereas Muslim soldiers from other parts of India were given the option of either joining Indian army or Pakistan army. Indian Muslim soldiers overwhelmingly stayed with the Indian army.

So there is a lot of hogwash from the believers of two nation theory about Hindus and Muslims being different communities(nations).

Over the last sixty years secular outlook and governance has integrated the Muslim community, though a lot needs to be done.

Had MAJ(SBUH) not divided the country, Hindus and Muslims would have got along fine.

rakesh mani...

couple of months back, it happened...
now again...

http://www.timesnow.tv/Illegal-immigrants-have-to-go-back/articlesho w/4327233.cms

Unlike the muslas in India, these people are not trouble makers and so far is not associated with treason or act of terrorism...they are flocking to India....

Whatever way you project Pakistan or any musla country, it is very difficult to suppress their stinking habit....I know, what is happening in BD...better write about "hindu nationalist BJP"....LOL...

rakesh mani...

couple of months back, it happened...
now again...

http://www.timesnow.tv/Illegal-immigrants-have-to-go-back/articlesho w/4327233.cms

Unlike the muslas in India, these people are not trouble makers and so far is not associated with treason or act of terrorism...they are flocking to India....

Whatever way you project Pakistan or any musla country, it is very difficult to suppress their stinking habit....I know, what is happening in BD...better write about "hindu nationalist BJP"....LOL...

rakesh mani...

couple of months back, it happened...
now again...

http://www.timesnow.tv/Illegal-immigrants-have-to-go-back/articlesho w/4327233.cms

Unlike the muslas in India, these people are not trouble makers and so far is not associated with treason or act of terrorism...they are flocking to India....

Whatever way you project Pakistan or any musla country, it is very difficult to suppress their stinking habit....I know, what is happening in BD...better write about "hindu nationalist BJP"....LOL...

Re: # 264

nkg...I was quoting the writer there, who I presume is Indian...

Re: # 261

SPY...I was quoting Rakesh, the writer there...and I agreed with him...but its a good start that we agree on the last para, which is my thinking.

GF....
Only 3 Indian states out of 33 have witnessed horror of partition, that is minor 10%...so, you know, what it means to Indians....

Re: # 37
rakeshmani...
the clue of this hostility lies in the book ( the arab gangster put words in the arabic moon god's mouth...otherwise, hubal was not that bad kind of god)...rest; whether it is India, Thailand, Mynmar etc. etc....the problem will be there...

Re: # 37
rakeshmani...
the clue of this hostility lies in the book ( the arab gangster put words in the arabic moon god's mouth...otherwise, hubal was not that bad kind of god)...rest; whether it is India, Thailand, Mynmar etc. etc....the problem will be there...

Re: # 153 Goldfinger says: "Because when thinking of Partition, it is only the Pakistanis who feel they gained a country. Most Indians still feel that they lost a third of theirs."

Disagree...Indians are happy because of the partition, otherwise what is happening in today's Pakistan would have been happening in the undivided India.

Agree with your last para.

Re: # 131 Riaz says: "What you and your cohorts want: A poor and backward Pakistan with little or no economic growth that can be easily "tamed" by India."

Interjecting, but let me express my 2 cents....
I disagree....Pakistan to be rich or poor, depends entirely in its own hands.
But yes what I want Pakistan to be is a peace loving country that does not support terrorism in India. No meddling in kashmir, No repeat of Kargil, Parliament attack and Mumbai 26/11, no bomb blasts in Indian cities or the fake Indian currency notes.

Re: # 251

Skeptical...I agree with you that sanity must prevail upon all the hate...peruse my post #153 regarding that...but I really don't know as to how that could ever happen, seeing the appalling hatred that emanates from everywhere...