Reflections from my stay in Pakistan VIII: Multan’s beauty

The beauty of Multan lies in the city's ability to manipulate time. Time simply moves slower in the City of Saints. Sometimes it appears as if time is suspended for periods. It is almost like Multan is exempt from the laws of physics and motion. Perhaps it is the summer heat which pervades the atmosphere? Or maybe it is my western notions of time, i.e. measured in minutes and seconds not by seasons and crop harvests. After all, Multan is in Pakistan's agricultural heartland.

Time may move slowly in Multan, but it has not completely stopped. During the premiership of now former Prime Minister Gilani, Multan received a large dose of funds meant to bring the city into the modern world. Nonetheless, despite the present government's largesse, Multan cannot divorce itself from the broader issues plaguing Pakistan.

Electricity is top of the list. Electricity comes and goes like the mood swings of a psychotic patient - one moment there is electricity and the next moment darkness.

Then there is poor governance. Roads are built to suit the civilian government's personalities. If a road benefits from the 'sponsorship' of any of the government's 'leading lights,' it will be built quick time. On the contrary, a general public works project will crawl from the sanctioning stage to actual construction. Pakistan's bureaucracy not just manipulates time but actually succeeds in suppressing time.

Multan: a city where rural and urban worlds collide routinely, including finding farm animals in the garden!

The absence of electricity and good governance has created problems for Multan's traditionally strong agricultural industry.

Water pumps and tube wells are essential prerequisites for maintaining stable water supplies at any farm. Because both items require electricity, crops suffer due to 'artificial' shortages of water, i.e. available water cannot be extracted from the ground and / or delivered to crops. Consequently, Pakistani farmers are experiencing low crop yields or reducing farmed acreage to cope with lower water supplies.

But the civilian government is more concerned with maintaining its hold on power - implementing a cohesive national agricultural policy is not a priority. Surprisingly, most Multanis also seem more preoccupied with the politics of patronage or scandals surrounding the (former) First Family and not the difficulties of the city's farming business.

Maybe I do not understand democracy? All evidence from Pakistan points to democracy being a system focused on the short term, which sacrifices all at the altar of political expediency. Or maybe I do not understand President Zardari and his ruling party's priorities (does he even have any)? Or maybe I just don't get Multan and its near rural outlook on life? Nevertheless, Multan is a beautiful city operating at its own tempo.

I, for one, am looking forward to my next visit to the City of Saints.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of businesses operating in Singapore and the region. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com. 

Pakistan's half full glass

The Pakistani state is at a crossroads. Few can be faulted for assuming Pakistan is perpetually on the brink. The country faces a low level insurgency in on its border with Afghanistan. Sectarian killings, particularly in Balochistan are frequent. Electricity is in short supply, hobbling economic growth and investment. Irresponsible fiscal policies mean inflation is stubbornly high, eating away at the middle class. The list is endless - if one wishes to see the glass half empty.

However, there is more to Pakistan than news headlines suggest. Following the end of President Musharraf's  rule, Pakistanis are indulging in politics like never before. Ordinary people are not simply attending rallies but also preparing themselves for the next General Elections due by March 2013. Most everyone I meet plans to vote in the forthcoming elections - nearly all are making the effort for the first time.

For a change, government institutions play a role in encouraging voters to participate in the next elections. The Pakistan National Database Authority (NADRA) has computerized the electoral rolls. Citizens can check via sms whether they are registered to vote, or change their registered constituency easily.  

Politics is not the only change. The depth and breadth of quality educational institutions is clearly on the rise. To be sure, many of the new institutions are in the private sector with expensive fee structures, but there is no dearth of able and willing students to fill their registers. For example, the Karachi School for Business and Leadership (KSBL), established in strategic collaboration with Cambridge University, opens its doors this year.

Culture is another area seeing a renaissance. Literature, music, visual arts are also seeing a revival of sorts. Perhaps artists are generated in times of social transition when differing ideas are vying for ascendancy? Perhaps a more open, creative environment engineered by former President Musharraf is finally paying dividends. Nonetheless, Pakistani artists are producing more quality content today than any time in the recent past.

Economically, a bright light shines in the form of better trade relations with India. India is a huge market, but Pakistan is no minnow either. Already, Pakistan is amongst the top three international markets for Bollowood movies. (It was not for charity that Salman Khan wished to visit Pakistan to help his most recent film be cleared by the Pakistan Censorship Board.) Indian industrialists and businessmen are as eager to establish themselves in Pakistan as many Pakistani counterparts are to enter the Indian market.

The international media may continue to bash Pakistan every chance it gets - and the country certainly provides plenty of opportunities. However, Pakistan's dynamism has not disappeared. Neither has the country's optimism. Nor will the mullah's easily reverse gains made by Pakistani women.

Now if only the country had more electricity, Pakistan might return to the glory days of steady and high economic growth. Build, borrow or buy: Pakistan needs more electricity to sustain its historic vibrancy. Economic growth alone will help soothe many of Pakistan's current social issues.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of businesses operating in Singapore and the region. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com.