Pakistan: A Superpower by 2050

[AlphaCentauri]

In addition, the country has tremendous opportunities for developing fresh water and sea fisheries. With the introduction of improved farming techniques, the country can produce at least 60 million tons of food (wheat, rice, and maize) — enough to meet the nation’s food requirements and for exports. Pakistan can also boost its existing significant production and export of fruits and vegetables. The potential exports of food products alone to the Middleast are estimated at $200 billion per year. Development of the agriculture sector could also release surpluses of income and manpower for the industrialization of the country.

Pakistan has been bestowed with huge deposits of mineral resources and stands among the top ten nations in the world in vital mineral resources such as gold, copper, silver, gas, precious stones, and coal. In the case of energy, the country has immense hydroelectric power generation potentials as well as solar, wind, nuclear, and thermal power and can boost electricity production several times its present levels. For example, Pakistan has the world’s fourth largest coal reserves equivalent to over 600 billion barrels of oil, which can be developed for electricity generation both for domestic and export markets, coal byproducts, gasification, petrochemicals, and many other chemicals.

In terms of its geography, Pakistan enjoys a unique central and strategic setting. It is also a potential hub of trans-regional trade and commerce, and scientific and technological linkages. In addition, its over 1,000 kilometers of coastline has many suitable sites for developing the most modern ports linking all five continents. Pakistan’s proximity to the Islamic world, accessibility to the Indian Ocean and to the markets of East Asia, steadily growing economy, and principled stand in international affairs, good relations with other important neighbors, the PRC, Iran, and Turkey, and its emerging relations with the Central Asian countries and Russia should be a positive force in bringing peace, stability, and prosperity to this region.

http://www.pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=1934

[madeline_con]

1. ok

[babylonsister]

2. Perhaps. I'm glad they've been very involved in protecting

themselves and fighting against the taliban.

I hope it could happen.

[Lithos]

3. Nationalistic pipe-dreaming

Pakistan also has some of the greatest issues to overcome including significant ethnic problems (Punjabi, Pashtun, Sindh, Baluchi) which have proven so far to be the biggest brake on Pakistan's growth as a nation. Many of the inroads made by the Taliban have come via this ethnic divide. Pakistan is also principally controlled by the military both in terms of government, but also fiscally. The economy is noted for huge inflationary spikes of 20% and higher and the vaunted resources lack the capitol for development, capitol which will not be forthcoming until the defacto civil war with the Taliban and Islamic extremists is settled.

I work with quite a few Pakistani nationals (and former nationals) and they are quite pessimistic about the future of Pakistan. There is a lot of potential, but it is extremely unlikely anything will result from it in any conceivable future.

L-

[JI7]

4. you can substitute almost any other nation for Pakistan in here

with a few changes specifics and come up with the same article .