Pakistan History
Pakistan traces its history back to the early eighth century when Muslim traders began to arrive in the region currently known as Pakistan. Early rule of the area was governed by the English East India Company. British rule of the area began in the nineteenth century and “in a decision that had far-reaching consequences, the British permitted the Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir, a Sikh appointee, to continue in power” (History, 2008). Pakistan arose after a lengthy time frame in which Muslims continually expressed their desire for freedom of British control in the Indian nation.
In June 1947, the countries of India and Pakistan were formed after being released from British control. These two countries consisted of a primarily Muslim population. Other states in the area were given the option of joining either India or Pakistan. By the end of 1947, “Pakistan, comprising West Pakistan - with the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) - and East Pakistan, with the province of Bengal, became independent” (History, 2008). The state of Kashmir could not decide whether to join Pakistan or India and to date is still a matter of contention.
Following a period of unrest and imposition of martial law in Pakistan, General Mohammad Ayub Khan assumed the mantle of leadership in early 1959. He ruled as dictator of Pakistan for almost 10 years. General Ayub Khan lost a significant amount of support and power after Pakistan lost the war against India in 1965. In March of 1969, General Agha Mohammed Yahya Khan assumed the role of President of Pakistan. Late in 1970, general elections were held within Pakistan. The elections virtually severed any allegiance between East and West Pakistan. The unrest between the two areas of Pakistan eventually resulted in the succession of East Pakistan and the area being renamed Bangladesh on 16 December 1971.
Over the past thirty plus years, Pakistan has been lead by several different presidential leaders. President Perez Musharraf is the current president and has been since naming himself to the position on 20 June 2001. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on 11 September 2001, President Musharraf ensured President Bush that Pakistan would give 100% cooperation in the combating of terrorism. Pakistan continues to be an advocate and ally with the United States today.
Education
The education system is improving but is far from flourishing. The literacy rate in Pakistan is defined as those “age 15 and over can read and write” (CIA, 2008). The current literacy rate for the country is approximately 50%. Of that percentage, two-thirds are male and one-third is female. There are programs in place to increase the literacy rate and to build schools conducive to learning.
One program that appears to be making quite a difference in both Pakistan and Afghanistan is monitored by the Central Asia Institute (CAI). The chairman of this organization, Julia Bergman, is very optimistic about the progress being made. Bergman became chairman of the organization after she met Greg Mortenson, co-founder of CAI. Greg and Julia met near K2 in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan in 1996. Mortenson became enthralled with the Pakistan environment and vowed to make a difference in this country. He returned to Pakistan the following year to build the first of many schools the company has erected in Pakistan.
While working to increase the education level of all children in Pakistan, the target audience for the company is on the female population. Mortenson “subscribes to the premise of an African proverb that observes, ‘If you can educate a boy, you educate an individual, but if you educate a girl, you educate a community.'” (Pasquini, 2008). The schools built by the company mainly serve as primary schools. This however, causes concern on the ability to continue a child's education through middle and high school. In order to try and meet this goal, the majority of the children attend school in more developed areas of the country and in capital cities of Pakistani provinces.
Economic System
Pakistan is a poor country that is not well developed. “With a per capita GDP of about $690 (in current U.S. $), the World Bank considers Pakistan a low-income country” (History, 2008). The government has made attempts over the last ten years to develop programs to help raise the economic stature of the country. Some of those programs included increasing overall awareness and punishment of criminal activity that was detrimental to the country's economy. The country also developed state supervised utility management and a stronger governmental monitoring of the banking system. These reforms have helped provide substantial improvement to the economy.
After the attacks of 9/11, Pakistan committed to helping in the fight against terrorism. In return, the United States lifted previously imposed sanctions. This allowed other countries to provide historically large amounts of aid to Pakistan. The International Monetary Fund has commended Pakistan on its management of funds to help decrease poverty within the country.
While Pakistan's economy appears to be improving, it has a long way to go. One indicator of the continued problems in Pakistan is displayed in the selling of organs, specifically kidneys. This trade spans the globe as people from different countries look to Pakistan for the purchase of kidneys and other organs that normally require extended waits on organ donor / transplant lists. Due to the level of poverty within Pakistan and the high demand for kidneys, Pakistani men willingly allow one of their kidneys to be removed in exchange for monetary compensation. “Recent reports cite human kidneys being sold for fifteen thousand dollars in Pakistan, with the donors getting as little as one thousand dollars out of the deal” (Rai, 2007).
The Pakistani government continues to work reforms across the country. They have emplaced measures to control the flow of illegal items across their borders. Underdeveloped and rural areas of the country remain a chief concern. They are the focus of the majority of aid from the United States and other foreign countries that applaud Pakistan's commitment to improving health, education, and poverty as a whole.
Conclusion
The most important factors that I believe impact the country of Pakistan are education and economy. These two critical elements are inter-dependent. Without a strong economy, it is nearly impossible to develop a successful education program. The lack of a strong education program directly impacts the work force and ability to develop a strong economy. The success of both of these areas of concern will continue to require external assistance in order to succeed. Continued support from the United States will be required in order to keep Pakistan from failing in their commitment to combating terrorism.
References
CIA - The World Factbook -- Pakistan. (2008, January). CIA World Fact Book, Retrieved July 3, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
History, Government, and Economy. (2008, February). International Debates, Retrieved July 3, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
Pasquini, E. (2008, March). Education-Minded Afghans, Pakistanis Urge Central Asia Institute to Build More Schools. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, 27(2), 46-47. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
Rai, M., & Afzal, O. (2007, March). Organs in the bazaar: The end of the beginning?. Politics & the Life Sciences, 26(1), 10-11. Retrieved July 3, 2008, doi:10.2990/26 1 10
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