“The Pakistani government must provide a better environment for the people in terms of health, education, housing, etc. This is how we can progress and strengthen as a nation.” Furthermore, the Muslims living in Pakistan are blessed with their homeland and should be thankful to Go d Al m i g h t y f o r t h e i r independence. ‘No doubt’, he said, ‘India has progressed by building many strong institutions including that of education to improve quality of life for the people, especially its middle class. Its middle class, comprising of 600 million out of a total population of over one billion people, is the backbone of India and is continuously making progress in all fields. The same efforts need to be endorsed by our Government in Pakistan,” he said. “With a population of 160 million, Pakistan can only compete with the rest of the world by focusing on education and developing its infrastructure,” Hashwani pointed out. He urged the government to invest in human resource and infrastructure development in order to make the country stronger. To achieve these goals the country needs to focus on improving governance at the national level. Hashwani thinks that overseas Pakistanis hope their homeland would become an economically viable country and engage in political and economic cooperation with foreign countries. Hashwani believes that the wealth of Muslim countries does not belong to them. Instead, it was bestowed upon them by Allah for the welfare of the Ummah. He urges rich Muslim states to share their wealth with other less privileged Muslim countries so that poverty could be reduced, and ordinary Muslims can be provided with opportunities to lead a better life. “Pakistan enjoys tremendous natural reserves and it is up to all foreign investors to explore the hidden potentials of Pakistan.” Hashwani said that foreign investors could take part in joint ventures with local partners in the field of oil, gas, infrastructure, telecommunications, information technology and other sectors.
Political situation
Asked about the current political situation in Pakistan, he said “2007 is an election year and the Pakistani people will elect their representatives favouring democracy to put the country on the path of development and prosperity. He praised President Musharraf for allowing more seats to women in the parliament. He encouraged
overseas Pakistanis
to invest and set up businesses in Pakistan where there are many concessions and exemptions available. In this regard, he referred to Gwadar Port where the investors were enjoying a tax exemption. “This port” he believes “will provide new business opportunities to investors, particularly coming from China and Central Asia.” The Chairman added that there is a dire need to promote a progressive image of Islam and build a brotherhood based on a stronger faith. “Pakistan,”he said, “is one of the countries which can play a major role in providing a strong defence to the rest of the Muslim world. Muslim countries rich in oil and gas and other natural resources should harness their joint efforts to build a strong defense and cooperate extensively in the field of science and technology, without which the dream of becoming a powerful Muslim block will not be realised,” he asserted. Overseas Pakistanis He called upon overseas Pakistanis to build a positive image of Pakistan especially by uniting and joining efforts for a better and brighter future. “This country has given everything to me and my family and I want to be part of it by contributing in every possible manner,” Hashoo Foundation has been established by Sadruddin Hashwani to maintain his family tradition of playing lead role in providing service to humanity. It is a non-profit organisation committed to the creation of an enabling environment for marginalised communities by providing them with education, skills development, income generation and healthcare. Striving to promote sustainable development for its beneficiaries, the Hashoo Foundation strongly urges the business community to channel their resources and business acumen to the development sector in an institutionalised way through innovative projects focusing on social enterprises, human resource development, etc. Asked to give any message to overseas Pakistanis, Hashwani said, “Pakistan is your homeland and you owe a lot to Pakistan. You may be successful abroad but every Pakistani is destined to come back to Pakistan eventually. You should be in touch with your roots and near your dear ones.” “Undoubtedly, there are good opportunities for getting education in the West but after completing their education, they should contribute towards the economic and social development of Pakistan.”