A Washington mesmerized by entering a new domestic political era may not recognize it, but Pakistan should now be the major — certainly foreign — preoccupation for policymakers.
Despite perennial, massive foreign assistance, one of the world’s poorest economies is failing basic needs of 180 million people.
Pakistan’s history, beginning with its martyred first prime minister, is long on political violence.
Just as there are virtually daily terrorist incidents throughout the country, U.S. drones almost as frequently take out targeted jihadists in the tribal areas abutting Afghanistan.
All this takes place in the world’s 50th largest economy, where more than a quarter officially live “below the poverty line.” Corruption is an economic issue with only two million — mostly professionals and government workers — paying taxes. Rich landowners, who with the military are the regime’s backbone, are exempt from all agricultural taxes.
Islamabad last fall increased its defense budget by about $1.28 billion, partly for flood relief with the U.S. pledging $150 million.
A largely irrelevant debate between human rights advocates and realists is in the cards, while more chaos, and possibly even disintegration, waits in the wings.
Earlier: napaki.tumblr.com
Twitter handle: @napaki
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