View point!!
This rating reminds me of the way some of my co workers judge Pakistan, India and some mid eastern countries. They were joking about how everyone carries a gun, and there are bullets flying all around. I believed them untill one of my friends actually invited me to Pakistan on his wedding. I am now looking forward to doing business in Pakistan. Its completely different from what I had pictured before.
Perhaps the judges rated with point of view of a common American on the street.
John, New York City USA
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:05 GMT 17:05 UK
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:59 GMT 16:59 UK
As an Economics PhD student the report has left me baffled . Pakistan in the last few years has been going through an economic revival and by some indicators second to China.The human rights records of countries like China and India are not that different but because of a democratic government India gets away with its violation in states like Kashmir, Gujarat etc but it will not get the same headlines if Chinese did something on a similar scale.
Mark Thomas, Liverpool
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:11 GMT 16:11 UK
Pakistan, a country with one of the highest growth rate, a country with good business environment, a country that has amassed biggest financial reserves lately in its history, the only country in the region that is trying to stabilize relations with its neighbors being listed as 9th failed state. I think people who had conducted this research should pull there heads out of there ..... and think again.
Kamran, USA
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Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:12 GMT 16:12 UK
Pakistan at 9 and Afghanistan at 10? what utter nonsense. Pakistan has its problems but its far from a failed state. i think this is scare mongering and the re-enforcement of a stereotype that pakistan is a failed nuke state that needs to be eliminated. Im assuming that after Iran, pakistan will be put under pressure to give up its nuclear program or face intervention from the US's new best friend India. what nonsense!!
Ali choudry, leicester
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Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:09 GMT 16:09 UK
Are natural disasters signs of failed states or the governments response to help its people in need? Judging on the same criteria, where would the USA rank in response to Hurricane Katrina which devastated lives of so many American families? What did the USA do to alleviate their problems?
Take another example, who is governing Iraq? Is it not the failed US government and its control which has destroyed every infrastructure in that region?
Dr Asif Iqbal, Dundee
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Added: Wednesday, 3 May, 2006, 10:48 GMT 11:48 UK
Add my country, the USA to the top of the list. 20 or so years ago we were one of the most respected of nations...and now one of the most hated. We have deteriorated morally and ethically. More than any other country we are responsible for the troubles in the mid-east by our blind allegiance to the foreign policies of the neoconservatives and zionists. We are a failed nation that is going the way of England as a world power.
dora patton, des moines, United States
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Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:54 GMT 17:54 UK
As an Indian,I myself am amazed to find Pakistan ranked above Afghanistan.Although I have never been to Pakistan , reports about their hosptality meted to the Indian fans who went over their for the cricket series were positively described in Indian media.Calling it a failed state would be totally over the line.Personally ,I think its the western mentality that countries like India ,Pakistan and Srilanka are unsafe place to live which should be changed through better PR.
Anurag, Calcutta
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:58 GMT 16:58 UK
Depending on the criteria you choose, you could come up with a very different list of "failed states": Percentage of GNP spent on the military, military manufacture and trade, trade deficit, military aggression against sovereign states for purposes of economic gain, domestic violent crime (e.g. murder rates), consumption of diminishing resources, etc. But these criteria would result in embarrassment for the industrialized west.
Tom Hunsberger, Cholula, Mexico
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Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:54 GMT 17:54 UK
Basing your ratings on news articles; that seems the easiest job to do. I am an Indian but really shocked to see Pakistan in top 10. I believe Pakistan is moving towards a better future and these kind of ratings hurt the country.
Shilpi, Sacramento
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Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:29 GMT 17:29 UK
Rating Pakistan with Congo or Afganistan and below even Nepal is a joke. I actually feel like laughing. Pakistan is a country with purchasing power parity of $385 billion, GDP growth rate of 7.8%, uneployment is only 6%, with Exports of $14 billion and $12 billion in reserves, does it sound like a failed state? The authors of this report should visit Pakistan, see the booming economy and then decide. Its nothing but a pathetic propaganda driven by a biased lobby.
Shahzad, Chicago, USA
May, 2006, 15:24 GMT 16:24 UK
This has been a long term US policy since early 50s, of using Pakistan and then discarding it.
Due to better economic management over the last few years, even the World Bank and the International Credit Rating Agencies have considerably improved the country rating.
I think this report is a partial view by a select group who have led USA into the present political qaugmire, with Mr Bush still leading America towards international disrepute.
Wali Amjad Yusuf, Manchester
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:22 GMT 16:22 UK
Every person that I know in Pakistan, rich or poor, sent each penny that they could to the earthquake victims. Pakistanis are one of the most generous of all nations.
We are good people under a lot of aggressive pressure. This report is total propoganda and will not pull our morals down. We are proud to be Pakistanis.
I have seen Katrina response very well, and with that, i can safely say that we are much better than the americans.
Muhammad Saud, United States ---, Pakistan
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:11 GMT 16:11 UK
I find Pakistan's inclusion to be highly arbitrary and to base this even partly on the devastation caused by the earthquake is lame. Yes Pakistan has human rights issues but no worse & in some cases less severe than elsewhere in the region,e.g.India, Nepal, Iran, Sri Lanka & China,who could all be included on such random basis.It is proper that they are not, nor should Pakistan be.The report makes sweeping generalisation & is very poorly researched.
Najam, Lahore
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 14:41 GMT 15:41 UK
Pakistan certainly has its share of problems, but only a lunatic would list it ahead of Afghanistan.
The fact that nearly 3 million Afghan refugees choose to live in Pakistani refugee camps over their own country says enough in itself. Furthermore, there is no comparison between the two in infrastructure, governance, education, healthcare and overall quality of life.
Such a ridiculous outcome forces one to question the methodology used in these rankings and their general value.
FB, Karachi
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 14:44 GMT 15:44 UK
I am proud Pakistani and just give a damn to such non-sense report. Today we are much better than yesterday and bright future is awaiting us. We have made many such past think-tanks wishes a history. Our nuclear and distinguished missile technology and national cohesion is sign of sustainability and can deter any threat. Don’t you realize how united we were during the last year catastrophe. Can any nation in the world do ever demonstrate such a unity? Good luck with your wishful thinking.
Bahadar Nawab, Islamabad
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 13:49 GMT 14:49 UK
Pakistan is an nuclear state, builds its own Main Battle Tank, exports high tech Arms, Software, food, labour etc. Keeping in mind all this it still has been ranked next to Afghanistan in the list. Afghanistan has been in war since the past 30 years and has no infrastructure at all. Was this report put together by some one who spent his life in a room with no windows?
Imran, Islamabad, Pakistan
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 14:47 GMT 15:47 UK
I am an Indian Citizen. I do not share the view that Pakistan deserve such a low grade. Pakistanis have a very clear national identity and a reasonably good economy.
Shain George, Heverlee
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Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:53 GMT 17:53 UK
I must agree w/ those who feel slighted at Pakistan's rank in this survey. There are many countries which deserve to be ranked above Pakistan, not the least of which would be Afghanistan...c'mon.
Eskender, New York, USA
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:10 GMT 17:10 UK
Given the criteria, Pakistan surely be the top three. So far, thousands of people in Balochistan province have been displaced and hundreds of innocent women and children lost their lives in a brutal military campaign. Lack of democracy, unjust distribution of resources and politicising islamic ideology in order to create national identity by the army are among major causes of Pakistan's failure. In fact artificially designed states like Pakistan and Iraq might not survive in long term.
Mazdak Balouch, London
Added: Wednesday, 3 May, 2006, 10:14 GMT 11:14 UK
Why are projects such as establishing a rank of failed states carried out by think tanks in the US who submit their findings based on research carried out from their domestic location?It is illogical,incredibly arrogant and downright offensive of us in the West to tell nations thousands of miles away that you have failed.I would like to see native Sudanese,Pakistanis or Ivorians conduct a table on failed states and compare the results.
Ciaran, Dublin, Ireland
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 20:55 GMT 21:55 UK
Pakistan behind Afghanistan. This must be a joke.
Roheena Durrani, Arlington, USA
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:48 GMT 17:48 UK
By placing Pakistan above Afghanistan, the report has proven itself that it has serious flaws. First of all there is no comparison between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan is a completely war torn country where the writ of government is only limited to the capitol Kabul and most of the country is controlled by war lords. Whereas Pakistan is on a fast track to prosperity, where foreign exchange reserves are reaching $13 billions and GDP growth rate is over 6% per year.
Mumtaz, Indiana
May, 2006, 15:48 GMT 16:48 UK
The criteria for a failed state should be if it is on the brink of collapsing, is in utter turmoil and unrest. Pakistan in my opinion is not a failed state at all, we have one of the strongest military in the region along with being a nuclear power shared by a handfull of countries in the world. Our economy has been on a rise for the last few years and GDP is on the rise, 6.6% for 2005-2006 and projected 6% for the coming year.
Humad, Reston
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 14:43 GMT 15:43 UK
I'm a blogger and currently live in Pakistan. Though it may not be the best place to do so, it's quite hard for me to believe that I live in a failed state.
The earthquake was devastating, but it didn't exactly stop all progress. Besides, if natural disasters can contribute to a nation's failed status, why didn't the Tsunami or Katrina do the same for effected countries.
Pakistan has some glaring flaws, but there is also hope and subtle, yet continuing progress in many other areas.
Ahmed Sajjad, Islamabad
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:28 GMT 17:28 UK
I think the person or agency who made this report dosn't even know the difference between Pakistan and Afghanistan and must have thought these countries name sound alike, so put them 9 and 10.My humble opinion to the agency doing next year's survey----get educated in geography first.
Nayeem, NYC
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:01 GMT 16:01 UK
I believe the US is a failed state. There has been mounting demographic pressures from undocumented workers seeking legitimization in our society. Hurricane Katrina caused massive movement of refugees. With the onslaught of tax cuts for the rich, there has been uneven economic development. Also before Bush was elected we had the largest surplus in history and now have the largest debt. The has been a rise of factionalised elites with the new found power of the Religous right.
Brian Evans, Davis, Ca
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:01 GMT 16:01 UK
I am totally perplexed at this report. Being a citizen of Pakistan I visit my country every year and ranking Pakistan amongst countries like Afghanistan portrays Bush's picture of the world.. TOTALLY IGNORATE AND FALSE. I would advise the US Foreign Policy magazine to go and visit those countries before publishing such a baseless report. Pakistan is the fastest growing economy in Asia and this statement itself is enough to justify my viewpoint.
Arif Iqbal, New York
Added: Wednesday, 3 May, 2006, 11:44 GMT 12:44 UK
Even though Pakistan is very moderate muslim country with high inflow of remittances. The biggest problems are Kashmiri Centric, Indian Obsessed foriegn policy and lack of education reforms is the biggest hardles for development of Pakistan.
Sean, Dublin
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 16:33 GMT 17:33 UK
Cool down Pakistanis. You know you are not a failed state. You can't be. with the progress you have shown and nuclear capability, we will never be a failed state. This biased report is just to demoralize our people and government. Just work on our problems and try to change people's perception.
Rehman Khalid, Pak/NY
Added: Tuesday, 2 May, 2006, 15:24 GMT 16:24 UK
I was born in pakistan and now working outside Pakistan. This is really alarming for all Pakistanis. Conisdering all factors to some extent we are rightly ranked at number 9. Rather than denying facts we should be concentrating on steps to get out of this problem.
Syed Hadi, Bermuda, Bermuda |
