The Sixteenth Asian Games officially known as the XVI Asiad opened in Chinas southern city of Guangzhou on November 12 with spectacular ceremonies marking the occasion. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inaugurated the Games amidst a colourful display of fireworks. Unlike all previous opening ceremonies, the 2010 Asiad opening ceremony was held not in a stadium but at an open venue in Haixinsha Island on the legendry Pearl River.
The water-themed fantasy-opening was marked by a little boy descending from the sky on a green carriage pouring water like an angel which set the huge fountains spurt water across the stage. Also in tryst with Guangdong provinces seafaring heritage tradition, a dozen divas emerged from the pools in the stage floor and waded through the waters as huge audience watched them with awe.
In keeping with the theme, the ceremonial Flag March of more than 9,000 athletes was held in 45 boats sailing through Pearl River, each carrying a nations contingent with a landmark float from that country, like Japans Mount Fuji, Cambodias Angkor Wat, Jordans Petra and Indias Taj Mahal. One would like to know what landmark the Pakistani contingents boat displayed. A boat with games mascot on it was leading the parade. It must have been no less than a fairy tale journey.
Besides hosting the Olympics in 2008 with resounding success, this is the second time China is hosting the Asian Games. It was earlier host to the 11th Asian Games in Beijing in 1990. Now the 16th Asian Games is another feather in Chinas cap which indeed reflects Chinas unmatched soft power on the global stage. For the people in Pakistan, every successful event in China is a matter of shared joy and pride.
Incidentally, Pakistan was among the only two countries to be represented at the 16th Asian Games opening ceremonies at the highest level. President Asif Zardari and Thailands Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva were there as special guests of the Chinese Government. The presence of Thai Prime Minister made sense because his country has traditionally played a pivotal role in promoting the Asian Games by hosting four of them since they were instituted in 1951.
Irrespective of the special Pakistan-China relationship, the presence of President Zardari at this event was incomprehensible to many people in Pakistan at a time when our country is going through the worst crisis of governance and economy in its history. It is indeed rare for any head of state or government to find time for such occasions. Even if the Chinese wanted high-level presence from Pakistan, it is already there in the person of a federal minister at the head of our contingent.
President Zardari may have been visiting China every six months (this is his sixth visit in two years) but the Sino-Pakistan friendship and its larger framework of multidimensional bilateral cooperation has already been there for decades, and is not predicated on the number of visits by rulers from either side. We have had only one presidential visit from China in fifteen years. This does not mean that Chinas commitment to its relationship with Pakistan has been diminutive in scale or intensity.
This exemplary relationship, underpinned by commonality of interest, has over the years grown in its dimension and scope. It is not based on expediencies or transient interests, and is certainly above personalities or any changes in domestic or international situation. In fact, most of the existing groundbreaking agreements on economic and strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China were concluded before Zardari government was anywhere on the scene.
President Hu Jintaos visit to Pakistan in 2006 had given a new solid dimension to our bilateral cooperation with special focus on enhanced economic and strategic cooperation involving a six-billion dollars Chinese investment package for numerous joint venture projects in different areas. If anything, their implementation has been held up, like many other foreign-funded projects, because of known governmental neglect and corruption.
Speaking of corruption under this government, there could not be a greater insult and humiliation for a nation to see their national cricket team being implicated in scandals of all sorts. Match-fixing is the name of our new game. We no longer qualify to be part of world championships. Our teams now need ICC clearance before playing any game. PCB chief needs to be criminally prosecuted for bringing this shameful downturn in Pakistans cricketing culture.
Interestingly, Pakistan is represented at the 16th Asian Games by a 235-member contingent that includes only 168 players and athletes for 17 sports disciplines. All others are official hangers-on. This is a ratio unmatched anywhere in the world. In terms of performance, at the last Asian Games held in Doha in 2006, we claimed only one silver and two bronze medals.
Once among Asias leading teams in hockey and a cricket World Cup holder, we are out of all sports for more than two decades. Pakistans performance in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, both on and off the field, was an embarrassment of the highest order for the nation. Who is responsible for these successive debacles? Whosoever has been at the helm of Pakistan Olympic Association for all these years must also be held accountable for the rapid decay in our overall sports standing.
During his Guangzhou visit, President Zardari did meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, reportedly discussing bilateral ties and China’s aid to Pakistan following severe flooding over the summer that left millions without adequate shelter. In all humility, we request our president that he should stop asking for aid in the name of the poor people of Pakistan and their sufferings. The world knows the reality. Asking for charity in their name degrades them.
And if democracys revenge is not complete yet, President Zardari should listen to the elected representatives, implementing the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on sports. Its chairman has just resigned in protest against contemptuous heedlessness being shown to their reports. The shameless heads of Pakistan Olympic Association, PCB, PHF, PFF, and all other sports-related bodies must roll now before Pakistan disappears completely from the world of sports.
The people of Pakistan also want an end to “Marco Polo” culture at state expense. Our leaders must stop foreign visits. Our problems are not in Washington, New York, Paris, or even in London. Our problems are in Pakistan. Address them right here through good governance and economic management. No foreign leaders anywhere in the world, not even of the most affluent countries are seen travelling around the globe with such frequency and flair.
On the very day our president was witnessing grand gala event in Guangzhou, his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao was doing more important work in South Korea attending an important global event, the 5th G20 Summit representing worlds economic powers, including India, discussing measures to boost global economy.
In an embarrassing contrast for Pakistan, Indias Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also among those global leaders gathered in Seoul discussing global policy matters, while our head of state accompanied by his son was attending an event, not of political or economic importance but essentially a cultural spectacle.
No, there is no comparison with India. The difference is too conspicuous. The Indian Prime Minister was on a foreign visit with seriousness of purpose. In Seoul, he was not only articulating India’s stand on how to achieve global financial stability the basic foundation of the G20, a grouping of the top rich and emerging economies, but also meeting a host of world leaders on the margins including President Hu Jintao of China. Our president even being in China did not have this pleasure. This is what happens when foreign visits are arranged with no purpose or prior coordination.
The writer is a former foreign secretary.
