Pakistani American professionals launch discussion on improving Pakistan’s image

Associated Press of Pakistan

Thursday, 15 March 2007

WASHINGTON, March 14 (APP): A group of Pakistani American professionals launched a series of discussions Tuesday on bolstering Pakistan’s image as a progressive country having vast economic potential as experts agreed that many achievements of the nation do not get due projection in the often one-dimensional media focus on the fight against terrorism.               The panel discussion on “Branding Pakistan: What is Pakistan’s Image?” touched upon bright development prospects as well as challenges facing the country, with participants acknowledging its pivotal strategic location and the need to improve understanding between the Pakistani and American people for developing a long-term relationship.               The gathering including foreign policy experts, students, intellectuals, also saw the need for Pakistani American community to play a critical role in canceling out misperceptions about the country and welcomed the Association of Pakistani Professionals’ initiative as a much-needed dialogue on getting an informed perspective on the subject.               “Pakistan is one of the most incredibly diverse countries in the world, “Pamela Constable, deputy foreign editor at the Washington Post remarked at the school of advanced international studies, Johns Hopkins University.                She observed that the country has extraordinary amount of potential in terms of economic, political and social development. Constable referred to the complexity of challenges facing the country and said the Pakistani Americans can help remove misperceptions about Pakistan through concerted efforts.  Constable said Pakistan’s official policy is quite forward-looking.              Pakistan’s image had improved immediately after tragic events of September the 11th, 2001 when President Musharraf decided to support the US-led war on terror and announced an ambitious reforms agenda for the country, she said.  However, she said the country still faces many challenges.               She said her paper has been portraying the plight of the Muslims who have suffered at the hands of terrorists. The seasoned journalist, who has spent years in covering South Asia, said she has found Pakistan a hospitable country and said there is a need for good faith efforts from all sides to clear misperceptions.               Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow for South Asia at the Heritage Foundation, agreed that positive stories of the country do not receive the projection they deserve and saw the point of the conference to try to get beyond one dimensional view of Pakistan.               She believed that it is only with clearer understanding of the realities on the ground in Pakistan that sound US policies will be developed and it is through sound US policies that the two countries can establish a long-term relationship that is supported by both the Pakistani and American people.  Referring to the passage of the women’s protection bill, she said a lot of good work is being done by Pakistan towards protection of women’s rights.             Ken Ballen, president of the organization named Terror Free Tomorrow, said  surveys have revealed that an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis reject terrorist attacks against civilians.             Participating in the dialogue, media advisor for the prime minister, Mahreen Khan, pointed out the need for balanced coverage in the American media. Referring to dichotomy in the coverage of events she regretted that even a positive story about the Muslims gets a reference to the issue of extremism while others get compassionate treatment.           Asad Naqvi, a professional associated with a global business process outsourcing company, said the reality of Pakistan is much better than misperceptions about the country and the Association of Pakistani Professionals strives for bridging the gap between perception and the reality.           He called for projecting Pakistan’s upbeat economic scenario and the immense potential for business in areas like information technology in the changed regional and global context. Citing several examples, he said international investors are amazed at the vast business prospects in Pakistan when they visit the country as they find it hugely different from the way the country is generally portrayed.           The participants highlighted the need to understand the situation in the region in its right perspective and said the West-support jehad against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan had its fallout on Pakistan.

 

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Experts say inconsistency in Pakistan's image is a key problem

Malaysia Sun

Wednesday 14th March, 2007

Washington, Mar 14 : A panel of experts discussing the global image of Pakistan has concluded that the key to Pakistan's problem is its inconsistent presentation to the world, especially concerning the area of its politics and policies.

The experts came together on Tuesday at a conference sponsored by the Association of Pakistani Professionals and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced and International Studies.

William Black of Fleishman Hillard Government Relations said the fact that the general perception of Pakistan is one that is largely negative, posed a great challenge for the country.

"So, it does seem like there does seem to be a general perception of Pakistan that is not favourable, that is consistent over time and that is the challenge that you face," he said.

Pamela Constable of the Washington Post said though Pakistan is making efforts to curb terrorism, it is still a cause of great concern.

"As we still have now, the resurgence of Islamist extremist activity along the border and very much inside Afghanistan that's got everyone in the region extremely worried, including the leaders of Pakistan of course, because as Pakistani President Musharraf says at every opportunity, Pakistan is also a victim,' she said.

Though the White House considers Pakistan a crucial ally in counter-terrorism, US officials have often voiced frustration over Taliban sanctuaries on the Pakistani side of the porous border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan, which has lost more than 700 soldiers in battles against rebels and says it has captured hundreds of Taliban and al Qaeda militants, says it was doing as much as it could.

Musharraf says Taliban fighters do operate from Pakistan, but their leaders are in Afghanistan.

Constable added that Pakistan's obsession with India adds to the image portrayed of Pakistan to the West.

"Very much of what comes out of Pakistan in terms of its dealing with the West and the United States is much more predicated on its fears of India than on what it wants to promote positively toward other parts of the world. In other words, there's a lot of schizophrenia in the messages that come out of Pakistan, whether it comes from the government, or from experts or from individuals," she said.

Broaching the subject of unrest in its tribal areas, Constable said that there was no easy solution to the problem.

"There is no easy solution to what's going on in Waziristan. But, whether or not you support full civilian democracy or whether you are willing to tolerate a benign military dictatorship, I think they would both face the same sorts of problems. In this case, even though I think the government of Pakistan suffers from a legitimacy problem, I don't think that problem is the same as this one," she said.

Pakistan struck a controversial peace pact in North Waziristan, a hotbed of al Qaeda and Taliban support, last September. The deal was aimed at ending fighting between militants and security forces and stopping raids into Afghanistan.

Hundreds of al Qaeda and Taliban militants fled into Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal lands on the Afghan border and found sanctuary there after U.S.-led forces ousted Afghanistan's Taliban regime in 2001.

The Pakistan Government has been trying to evict the foreign militants as part of its efforts to support of the US-led war on terrorism.

Hundreds of people have been killed in clashes, but the fighting has fallen off sharply in North Waziristan since the September pact.

WASHINGTON: A conference on Pakistan’s image abroad heard from a variety of speakers, ranging from one who thought that the marketing of a flawed product was difficult, to another who asserted that the Muslim world was convinced that the war on terrorism was actually a war on Islam and Muslims.

The conference – Branding Pakistan – what is Pakistan’s image? – was organised by the Association of Pakistani Professionals and the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University. The speakers’ panel was made up of Pamela Constable of the Washington Post, Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation, Ken Ballen of Terror Free Tomorrow, Bill Black, a public rations consultant and Asad Naqvi, a business entrepreneur.

Ballen said since 9/11, the Muslim world is convinced that the real enemy in the war on terrorism is Islam. He said this sentiment is common to all Muslim countries, as a large number of surveys have revealed. He called President Bush’s “unfortunate” use of the word “crusade” in the wake of 9/11 as having stamped the impression on Muslim minds that the US is at war with Islam. On the other hand, many in the US feel that the Muslim world wants to “get at” the United States and associate Islam with terrorism. He said most Americans believe that Osama Bin Laden is in Pakistan.

Constable told the conference that Pakistan is a complicated country with a “multiplicity of brands”. She said Pakistan’s greatest strength is its diversity but Pakistan also suffers from a “domestic schizophrenia”. Pakistan, she emphasized, has “extraordinary potential”. She praised the hospitality Pakistanis show to foreigners but to earn their respect, foreigners have to respect their culture, she stressed. Pakistan, she said, has produced terrorists, but it has also produced poets, artists and politicians. Pakistan, in short, has a lot to offer. Pakistan’s image was high immediately after 9/11 but since then it has gone down considerably. In the war on terrorism, Pakistan has exhibited highs and lows. At times, the government has done a lot, while at other times is has done little and therein lies Pakistan’s “inconsistency”. She said the resurgence of extremism is a cause for worry both for the region as well as Pakistan.

She also spoke of the “love-hate” relationship between Pakistan and the US, while pointing out that everybody wants to come to America, as long queues of visa applicants outside the US embassy show. She said Pakistan and Pakistanis have a “chip on their shoulder” vis-à-vis the United States. A great deal of Pakistani “schizophrenia,” according to her, is to be attributed to Pakistan’s obsession with India. There is also a “fundamental distrust” among Pakistanis of the US. In the end, everyone, she suggested, has to do something about these negative perceptions. She said some of the practices, such as treatment and control of women, that have been associated with Islam, are actually cultural hang-ups and must not be made the basis of judging Islam, or Pakistan, which, she repeated, is an extremely diverse country.

Constable admitted that because of lack of space, time and commercial pressures, the coverage of Pakistan in US media tends to be “tele-centric”. Even newspapers are no longer in a position to offer the space and the treatment they used to reserve for in-depth analysis, which makes it difficult to convey or communicate “nuances”. She felt that after the present “moment of obsession” with terrorism is past, Pakistan and the US may be able to form a long-term, stable relationship.

Curtis, who lived and worked in Pakistan at the US embassy for two years, said that there is a “genuine hunger” in Pakistan for democracy. She also urged Pakistani-Americans to involve themselves in the ongoing debate within Islam on a number of issues. She stressed that the United States has no choice other than to establish a long-term relationship with Pakistan. She noted that there are differences between the two states on security issues. The US thinks the Taliban are being protected in Pakistan, while Pakistan thinks it can live with the Taliban.

The Pakistani entrepreneur, Asad Naqvi, narrated how after he had shown around a group of American business associates around Pakistan, including the picturesque Northern Areas, they received a very negative briefing about Pakistan from a US embassy woman diplomat, to whom one of the American businessmen said after she had finished speaking, “Ma’am, you need to get out more.” khalid hasan