No 1 economy

This refers to the news report, ‘China to become No 1 economy by 2050: PwC’ (Feb 8). According to the news report, the global economy in the next three decades will be determined by the rise of China, India and Russia. These countries lie in Pakistan’s geophysical proximity and therefore the country should properly plan its foreign policies. The US and European economies will be comparatively losing stream and these countries’ interest or economic investment or political intervention in these three countries may expand greater than before.

Pakistan must ensure that it does not get ‘sandwiched’ between these three rising powers and remain ‘relevant’ in this region and beyond as well. The country should undertake rapid social, political, economic and demographic control reforms to keep pace with the trend of modernity. The nation’s parliament, superior judiciary, armed forces and well-established think tanks have a critical responsibility to ‘perform’ in the years ahead.

Abbas R Siddiqi

Lahore