WORLD MEDIA PORTRAYS PAKISTAN WRONGLY, SAYS MALAYSIAN ENVOY
LAHORE
Reality is better than perception. In reality, Pakistan is not what it has been projected by the foreign media. It is a very positive, warm and highly promising country which only needs sustainable efforts in the right direction to achieve the goals of prosperity, development and stability.
These were the views of the newly appointed High Commissioner of brotherly Islamic country Malaysia, Dr Hasrul Sani Mujtabar, while talking to The News during his first visit to Lahore at the Honorary Malaysian Consulate on Monday.
Dr Hasrul, a vibrant, highly optimistic diplomat with a positive vision and great admiration for Pakistan’s potential and its people, shared his impressions about Pakistan and maintained that he had been in Pakistan for last three months and was already feeling like at home. He said that he had taken this assignment as a challenge mainly due to the negative picture of Pakistan, courtesy anti-Pakistan foreign media. However, he openly admitted that reality is far better than perceptions and, in the case of Pakistan, this phrase seemed absolutely true.
He said that the people outside Pakistan who had projected this negative propaganda about this country must be having their ulterior motives, one of which, must be their fear of Pakistan being the only Muslim atomic power. He further asserted that every country had some ratio of violence or unrest, but it did not make it unlivable or a highly dangerous place to visit. He said that the problems of Pakistan could be overcome through collective efforts by its people and its political leadership. He also cautioned the people of Pakistan to be careful of the sinister schemes of the anti-Pakistan powers with ulterior motives against this country and its people.
To a query regarding his impressions about Pakistani leadership, the worthy envoy pointed out that the leaders of this country should do more efforts for the betterment of the people and the civil society should also put in its fair share to support the government. He said what was required at this time was a ‘Harmonious Mechanism, which meant that the people and the government should work hand in hand for the development of the country.
Dr Hasurl revealed that there were many joint projects in the pipeline between the two brotherly countries and Malaysia was always there to help in the vital sectors, like energy, education, trade, health, etc. He pointed out that, during Benazir Bhutto’s era, Malaysia had provided help in many sectors but, after her, things had not gone in the right direction.
He said that bureaucratic delays in many Pak-Malaysia projects were causing heavy losses and discouragement in the Malaysian companies and it would also cast a bad impression on the world be Malaysian investors who were ready to invest in Pakistan.
On the question as to how Malaysian leaders had turned around the country and transformed it into a great country, the Malaysian High Commissioner replied that it was mainly because of the continuity of the policies every five years. He said that the successive leaders had carried on refining and fine-tuning the policies set earlier but the cycle of continuity was never broken. He said that, presently, Malaysia had a coalition government like Pakistan did and Present Prime Minister belonged to the same party which had been in power since 1957 till today.
He revealed that the present Malaysian Prime Minister H.E.Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak was the son of the Second Prime Minister of Malaysia and he was as dedicated and committed as Dr.Mahatir Mohammad.
Furthermore, Dr.Hasrul told that other main elements which had contributed towards to the magical transformation of this South Asian country wrestling its Economic Policies and its Pragmatic Foreign Policy. He pointed out that Malaysia had a minimum of defence expenditures and a very small size military since they had long decided to resolve all the issues with their neighbors on the table thus it had given the country’s resources a boost and increased the level of energy which was earlier being wasted due to conflicts.
The Malaysian High Commissioner also revealed that he was planning to find means and ways to promote cooperation in various fields of mutual interest between the two brotherly Islamic countries and he would soon hold a big educational conference in Lahore with Pakistani Education high-up and the Vice-Chancellors to participate in it.
The host of the Malaysian High Commissioner and his wife, Honorary Malaysian Council General Imtiaz Rafi Butt and Imtiaz Rafi Butt were also present.