Dr. Rashid Bajwa My Vision of Pakistan in 2030 Year 2030 is a little ...

Dr. Rashid Bajwa
My Vision of Pakistan in 2030
Year 2030 is a little less than quarter of a century away. The circumstances
around me today on September 9, 2006 when I have turned 51 do not let me
think beyond tomorrow. There is an air of uncertainty around me. At the
International level, I see a progressively unsafe world. With an emerging trend of
suicide bombing, the value of human life is on the decline. The situation at home
is no different. Today’s “THE NEWS” is carrying only five news items on its front
page; all referring to violence and killing. By 2030, therefore one would like to
see a secure Pakistan where violence and violent behavior is virtually non
existent.
In a peaceful environment, by 2030, I visualize Pakistan having achieved the
following:
1. A raised National income and standards of living of the people
2. An improved balance of payments of the country by increasing exports
and by production of substitutes for imports
3. Increased opportunities for useful employment in the country
4. A steady progress in providing social services; housing; education, health
and social welfare; and
5. Rapidly developed rate of development especially in less developed areas
This may sound a very comprehensive vision for 2030 but let me acknowledge,
for the fear of being accused of plagiarism that the list has been taken from the
objectives which we pronounced in 1957 while unveiling the first five year (1955-
60) plan 1 . Indeed, the vision that was espoused 45 years back remains elusive.
1 The First Five Year Plan, 1955-60; GOP National Planning Board, 1957. pp13, Ch 13 para 4

Can we achieve this in the next 25 years? Is there a way out of this predicament?
What should be our road map for future? These are critical questions that need
to be addressed although the 1 st plan also talks about an implementation plan.
For example, the plan emphasized on targeted poverty programmes for rural
areas which have been long forgotten. It refers to housing, marketing, creation of
a cadre of service providers etc.; still a part of various policy documents and
seldom implemented.
Another example in terms of rural development as quoted from the plan shows
…”The major instrument for accomplishing implementation of village AID is to
increase the production from agriculture and village industries thereby increasing
the incomes of the rural people. The programme also seeks to provide more
schools and health centres, better water supplies and other social and
recreational facilities for the villages”. The 1 st plan was an ideal document which
is stated was taken by the Koreans for implementation. The plan also provided
an implementation mechanism and I quote….”all this will be done through the
initiative and energy of the village people themselves, cooperating and pooling
their own resources. The Government will even provide funds to enable villagers
to carryout the work”.
Our policy makers are very efficient to make diagnosis especially of things that
went wrong. They are equally good at monitoring outsourced work but have
seriously problems in implementation. Public sector delivery system is the
biggest bane and dilemma confronting us. So the question after 45 years is
whether one should continue to rely on the existing implementation machinery or
look out for some alternatives by way of “out of box thinking”.
So my vision of 2030 is synonymous with that if the 1 st plan. In order to
implement it, one needs to seriously think of restructuring of the current public
sector delivery systems. One way out can be to take a 180% turn on what we did

to implement the plan and do all the things which we did not. Without this, our
goals and milestones will continue to remain elusive.