Strong, stable and rapidly growing economy is the most essential ingredient for ensuring national security, solidarity and integrity of the Motherland.
In the prevailing circumstances and the post-Mumbai terrorist attacks scenario, topped by heightened tension between India and Pakistan, sustained economic growth has become all the more important and imperative. Surely and certainly, weak economy gravely weakens the national defence and exposes security to sorts of hazards and challenges.
The prevailing circumstances demand of President Asif Ali Zardari to move pretty fast in addressing the economic issues and challenges if the country's defence and security is to be ensured. On top most priority basis, foreign investors, businessmen and industrialists have to be invited for making investment in different sectors of national economy in Pakistan.
This is a race against the time, indeed. If we have to survive as a sovereign ,independent and free state then the inflow of the foreign investment, which has virtually stopped for some time, has to be restarted at reasonably good pace by offering incentives and firm and categorical assurances to the foreign investors. Local investors also have to be convinced to bring back their money from abroad and invest locally.
It is for President Asif Zardari, more than any one else, to pull up the economic managers team and convene a moot of the foreign and local investors as soon as possible to invite them to invest in Pakistan and also devise ways and means for boosting economic growth.
Besides the local and foreign investors, the President should also take immediate steps for taking the businessmen and industrialists, into confidence about the prevailing situation as well as the well-conceived plans which may be in place for putting the national economy back on the right track.
While doing so, it is also essentially important that visible and effective steps should be taken to tackle mounting poverty, unemployment and price hike of daily use articles besides solving the power loadshedding, which has become a chronic problem.
It is also important that a close vigil be maintained on the sinister Indian moves both on the ground and in the space as New Delhi is quite determined to further weaken and isolate Pakistan economically and politically in the comity of nations.
India has already caused much harm to Pakistan by getting a resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council with the collaboration and support of the USA and its lackeys banning some religious organisations and supposedly militant elements.
Needless to say that Pakistan failed to block the way by reminding the world body and the movers of the resolution about the long pending Kashmir issue despite the UN Security Council resolution for granting the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris to decide their future themselves.
Sustained economic growth requires self- reliance, self-sufficiency, austerity, cutting down non-productive and non-development expenditures to the maximum possible extent by making a beginning from the top down to the ground level. Build an economically strong Pakistan brushing aside all other interests and pressures to face external threats to the national security.