Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has said the government is considering setting up cultural centers abroad apart from making economic/commercial wings in the Pakistani missions abroad more effective in order to promote a positive and soft image of the country.
He stated this while speaking at a day-long conference, 'Global Corporate Response to South Asian Earthquake' here on Saturday.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar,, Brian Heath, US Consulate General Lahore, Chris DeAnglis, representative of US Embassy, Pakistan, and Switzerland Ambassador Denis Feldmeyer also spoke on the occasion.
Besides, a good number of corporate heads of different multinationals, representatives from different NGOs, their local representatives and a number of local elite were part of the conference. Huma Fakhar, a renowned trade lawyer from Pakistan and chairperson Market Access Promotion - Asia, moderated the conference. 'Promoting a positive image is not about jingoistic slogan-mongering but about portraying real strengths and reducing weaknesses in an honest and thoughtful manner.
The Foreign Office has been relentless in its efforts to build a positive image of Pakistan. "The success of our efforts can be measured from the number of high level visits to and from Pakistan", Kasuri said.
He said the government's decision to be a force for promoting regional peace and security has helped in improving Pakistan's image as a moderate and progressive country. It has further enhanced Pakistan's respect in the comity of nations. "We have used it to play a positive role in promoting inter-faith dialogue with the aim to dispel the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims in the Western world", he claimed.
Kasuri also claimed that the concept of 'enlightened moderation' was approved by OIC at the Mecca Summit, and since then the Foreign Office has been using and projecting this concept to not only promote Pakistan as a moderate, progressive and enlightened state, but also to counter the misgivings about our faith.
He also said that Pakistan pursued economic co-operation with the outside world to seek funds and investments for development, adding that well-trained and professional Pak diplomats remained successful in achieving national goals abroad.
International institutions like OECD, Standard & Poor's and Moody's ratings have enhanced Pakistan's rating by 5 to 6 notches, said Kasuri, adding the World Bank has ranked Pakistan as the 10th most attractive country for investment in the world.
He said in a recent Newsweek issue described Pakistan as one of the world's most surprising economic success stories. It stated that GDP growth rate was 8.4 percent last year and would be around 7 percent this year, and that "a true middle class is now developing", he added.
Kasuri said the government's job was to provide opportunity but for the corporate sector, exporters and business community to avail of it not only their private individual interests but also national interests of Pakistan. He said: "We had to work together in making dream of 'Rising Pakistan' a reality.
Talking about the earthquake and response given by the masses, the international community and the corporate sector, he said the government also moved swiftly, and supported by the equally swift and sensitive response of the international community.
Within the government, the Foreign Office took immediate action to mobilise its missions abroad for mustering support for the quake victims. The response from the international community, donor agencies, friends of Pakistan, Overseas Pakistanis, NGOs and Pakistani people had been spontaneous, swift and substantial to help people in earthquake-hit areas.
He said the Foreign Office within a few hours of this tragedy launched round-the-clock international mobilisation efforts, besides missions abroad apprising their host governments and Pakistani community about the destruction, interactive media campaigns in important countries, separate web sites for disseminating latest information/updates and holding seminars and conferences.
He also said US President Bush, during his recent visit to Pakistan, proposed setting up of 'Reconstruction Opportunity Zones' in remote areas of Pakistan with the vision that goods manufactured in these zones would have duty-free entry into the US markets, saying that such a zone should be set up in the earthquake-hit areas too.
Kasuri later talking to newsmen appreciated the response shown by the Pakistani and international corporate sectors to earthquake disaster. He hoped that their support would continue in the reconstruction phase too.
Speaking on this occasion, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar urged the corporate heads to come forward and help generously in reconstruction work in affected areas.
He extended all his praise to US, Canada, European countries and all other friends of Pakistan for their role in helping out Pakistan in dealing with October 8 disaster. He also mentioned the need of women empowerment and urged the participants to think about providing skilled training to people in Northern Areas. According to him, the corporate entities should teach the affectees as how to catch a fish instead of giving them a fish every day.
Brian Heath, US Consulate General in Lahore, said on the occasion that the US responded promptly to the catastrophe and extended military and medical facilities.
He said the US pledged $510 million in Donors' Conference and it was extending $1.5 billion assistance programme in the social sector. Similarly, he said, the private sector ensured $100 million from the US. He said that USAID cash for work programme is another area where the US was trying to help out the needy and deserving people.
According to him, despite the fact that the last US helicopter would be leaving by end of this month, the medical field hospitals, set up by the US, have been taken over by Pakistani people and they would continue to use it to rehabilitate the survivors.
He said that they were also looking forward to Phase-II which was reconstruction programme and would make sure that partnership continue in the reconstruction phase.
Aziz Memon, a Pakistan entrepreneur, said the US and EU countries should also consider providing trade concessions to Pakistan like Sri Lanka.
He said the duty relief given by the EU has helped boosting Pakistan's textile export to $450 million alone, adding such tax concession would provide Pakistan a level playing field that was facing tough competition after abolition of quotas in 2005.
Each of the corporate head briefed the audience about the relief work being done by his respective company and group. Those from the NGOs shared their experiences on the occasion. Some of the corporate heads also pointed out the phenomenon of "Donor fatigue" but still the overall mood of the conference was encouraging and the participants pledged to continue their assistance in reconstruction efforts as well.
Switzerland Ambassador Denis Feldmeyer also threw light on the contribution of his country, saying that it had extended 11 million Swiss francs and would give 50 million Swiss francs till 2008.
Linda Cruise, the Prince of Wales Trust International Business Leaders Forum, warned that the reconstruction period would consist of only six months therefore; the relief work should be boosted.
Ikram Sehgal, representative World Economic Forum, Disaster Resource Network, Roland Decorvet, representative Nestle, Faisal Farid of Pepsi International, Tore Johnson of Telenor, Saqib Shirazi of Honda, Asad Omar of Engro Pakistan, and others also spoke on the occasion.
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