The project to import energy and gas from the central Asian republics is in the pipeline and is a very important development for economic expansion of trade and bilateral relations. The recent visits of the top leaderships to the central Asian republics are significant in the context of expansion of Pakistan’s trade in the future. With regard to this region, two great discoveries were made in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. This is the period when socio-economic and other history of the world was being compiled and written. One was the finding of the origins of the Gandhara heritage and the other was the discovery of the Indus valley or the Harappa civilisation. It gave a great perspective to the diversity of a cultural richness and economic history of development of a mercantile community in the region.
The trade routes through the north and north-west of the country have always been significant part of economic development of this region. From the days of the rise of the Indus valley civilisation to this day, these routes have been the conduit of trading in a vast variety of goods. Chronicles available from the times of Alexander’s visit to Taxila and other parts of this region speak of thriving and prospering trading towns. As Buddhism spread to the Ghandara area, the monasteries had become the trading centres of repute. The coming of Buddhism had resulted in bringing great social and revolutionary reforms. In socio-political and economic terms, it produced thinking somewhat equivalent to liberal democratic thought today. It brought significant developments in social equality and harmony, thus challenging the orthodoxy that resisted any change. Buddha chose the popular language Magadhi for his teachings, instead of the classical language of the day which was not understood by the ordinary folks. From fifth to the seventh century, travelogues of at least three important Chinese visitors to these regions speak volumes of the potential these present day opportunities have in store for developing these trade openings.
A very timely and recent opening of an exhibition in New York on the Gandhara heritage of Pakistan, with artifacts borrowed from the Lahore and Karachi museums, speaks greatly of the rich history of the Pakistan area. This region has been home to not only one of the three significant and ancient civilisations but has been a repository of many later developments in different eras, spreading through the two millenniums to this day, that thrived in trade, commerce, art and architecture. Alexander entered South Asia through the Chitral region and visited Udayana, the present day valley of Swat, before crossing the Indus and heading south. The valley, along with other important towns of the Gandhara region, was home to many Buddhist monasteries that were also operating as centers of trade and commerce. The projection of an image of Pakistan as a country that can be genuinely portrayed as a country with a vast and important heritage of some of the great civilisations in world history, is sure to go a long way in helping to bring this country in the forefront of economic activity and trade.
The rail link from Pakistan to Europe has recently been completed and is sure to enhance trade through land to the Middle East and beyond. Along with the land routes, the building of railway passage through the northern routes is a sine qua non for the great expansion of trade through southern ports of Karachi and Gwadar. The Afghan-Pak trade is doing well but the great potential is to open access to the farther regions. We missed the opportunity back in the eighties when the developed countries had generously offered to upgrade the north-south road and rail links. The concerns of the world community are still the same and all help can be forthcoming if we can put up a transparent and efficient system to seriously implement the projects. The Motorway between Peshawar and Lahore/Faislabad needs to be extended all the way south down to the two important ports. Its natural access and expansion in to the central Asian region must be expedited through better diplomatic skills and projecting the rightful image of this country.
The writer has served as consultant to the United Nations and other developing economies on the issues of trade and development and can be reached at amjadriazzz@yahoo.com