A well-defined vision

LAHORE: Pakistan’s ‘branding’ will not be possible in the absence of a competent leader who has the ability to allocate all the available resources to achieve the end goal of a prosperous nation with honesty and full transparency.

We, as a nation, must come up with a clear vision for the future and allocate all resources and energies to achieve it. In case we fail to define a clear path for ourselves, our downfall is imminent.

Country branding is not different from product branding. We should take clue from Singapore, which achieved phenomenal success from a humble beginning in the 1960s by adopting a trade-specific approach

Brands are built by architects. Global leaders that designed their nation branding include Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, and Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia. These leaders were fully committed to the path they wanted their country to take.

Under Lee, Singapore decided to make become a trading hub of the world. From that day onwards, the city-state diverted all its resources to attain this purpose. The government upgraded infrastructure and attracted foreign investment to meet its goal. Singapore stayed focused with its vision and was never distracted by other opportunities that came its way. It increased its cargo handling capacity to 570 million tonnes from 4.3 million tonnes. Its trade infrastructure is now superior to that in the US.

A nation and its leaders must have a clear roadmap for progress. Pakistan does not have any such vision. Many people say that the purpose of Independence from India was to provide a prosperous life to Muslims in the Subcontinent.

But how are we to achieve that goal? Some want Pakistan to be an industrial hub, others want it to be an agricultural country while some want it to be a trading hub because of its ideal geographic location. Pakistan’s brand cannot be defined in such confusion.

Even after 77 years of Independence, Pakistan lacks the energy supplies and infrastructure needed for industrialization. This has stalled its industrial development. In agriculture, we have not developed even a single certified genetic seed; our once-excellent canal irrigation system is in shambles. Our agriculture is unable to feed the nation, and cotton production has plummeted. To become a trade hub, we need efficient ports, roads or airports, all of which are in shambles, unable to handle trade for a country aspiring to become a trade hub.

The focused approach has paid dividends to Singapore where the per capita income was at the same level as in Pakistan in 1965. Today Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world with a per-capita income of $67.558 in 2024. Pakistan’s per-capita income is expected to reach $1707 if all goes according to plan.

We must understand that whether it is product branding or country branding, honesty and transparency is important. On Transparency International, Singapore has a good score while Pakistan is among the most corrupt countries. Singaporeans operate their government with nothing to hide. Honesty has paid rich dividends to Singapore while non transparency has landed people in Pakistan in trouble.