Pakistan’s juggernaut Prime Minister had a whirlwind tour with over 28 meetings set up during his visit to the UNGA’s 74th session in New York. He was on ‘Mission Kashmir,’ to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Indian occupied Kashmir, as a result of the imposed curfew and blockade for over two months.
He discussed the issue with international leaders, went on major US TV channels including MSNBC and CNN, met with the New York Times editorial board, and addressed eminent think tanks in the city, the Council of Foreign Relations and the Asia Society. No other Pakistani leader in recent memory has engaged so many people in a short period.
The culmination of his trip was his impassioned address at the UNGA, where he asked the world not to appease India because of its market of 1.2 billion people, and create another Munich moment. He urged the UN to not shirk from taking on its responsibilities and act on what it was set up for in the aftermath of World War 2.
His trip was an unqualified success, and our special issue: World’s Munich Moment examines what his trip to the USA meant as Dr. Moeed Pirzada analyses Imran Khan conducted 27 or 28 interactions that consisted of one on one meetings, institutional talks, press conferences, and so on.
This was a sharp contrast to previous lackluster visits by Pakistani leaders over the past ten years. While Imran Khan has always been a strong brand, Senator (r) Javed Jabbar examines why we have not been able to sell Brand Pakistan. He examines what is missing, what we need to do, and the urgency of the task on hand.
There is no doubt that he is correct – every cent we spend on this will create several dollars down the line for us. The PTI government has stated that developing the tourism sector is a priority. Branding is part and parcel of this development; however, we would urge this project is set up independently and not subsumed under the tourism department.
The Kashmir crisis has also brought forth a new angle to what else the Pakistani diaspora can do for the country, as thousands came out to protest against Indian actions in IOK. It is a role that the Indian diaspora has been actively playing for decades, and often against Pakistan’s interests.
We look at the rise of the Pakistani-Americans, and sat down with British-Pakistani Parliamentarian Afzal Khan, vice-chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, to understand what more the British diaspora can do.
Two eminent lawyers Hassan Aslam Shad and Ali Sultan – give us legal arguments to explain how the Kashmir issue should be argued. Hassan explains how the case for self-determination should be made, and the importance of the East Timor and Chagos cases; and Ali enumerates the multiple international laws that India has flouted through its annexation of Indian occupied Jammu, Ladakh, and Kashmir.
Javed Hassan Chairman NAVTTC explains the critical importance of vocational training for maximizing the youth dividend benefits for Pakistan. He exhorts Pakistani private companies to take on a role that worldwide is being played by the private sector.
As the government starts actively exploring the privatization of state-owned enterprises, Dr. Omer Javed reviews the success of mixed ownership models in Scandinavia and China. To celebrate International rural women day – we look at the crucial role Pakistani women play in rural areas and how private sector initiatives can help them improve their economic livelihoods and thus improve their socio-economic conditions.
Saad Bin Ahsen looks at the Transgender community in Pakistan and the evolution and implementation of their constitutional rights. Finally, in our tourism sector, we look at some of the major sites under the ‘Buddhist trail‘ being developed by the government to attract religious tourists.
Najma Minhas
Managing Editor