Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Pakistan’s floods provide unique opportunities for Australia

By Mehroz Siraj - posted Thursday, 16 September 2010


They say that every cloud has a silver lining, implying that even in bad times, there is always hope for something positive.

Pakistan’s current floods are something of this sort. Amidst wide-spread destruction and devastation, the floods and the inability of Pakistan’s government to deal with them have brought about calls for a change in the nation’s political status quo from within the society.

Just as the floods have provided Pakistanis with a unique opportunity to rise as a nation and to resolve many of their outstanding disputes regarding their national identity and building of infrastructure, they have also given the Western world, particularly Australia, a fresh opportunity to re-assess relationships with that country.

Advertisement

Without a doubt, it can be said that Pakistan and Australia have much in common. There is huge potential for the improvement and strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Both countries are primarily mining and agricultural economies and have a culturally diverse population which has been further enriched by decades of trans-national immigration.

Both countries have suffered massive natural disasters over the last few years.

The Pakistan that will rise from these floods will surely be different from the Pakistan that was left after the Indo-Pakistan War in December 1971. Given the scale of the disaster covering nearly 4.3 million acres of land, it will have to re-built brick by brick and nearly 20 million lives will have to be rehabilitated.

Australia too has been afflicted by terrible floods time and again, and has managed to re-build houses and infrastructure very quickly. The sophisticated knowledge base that this country has developed in terms of laying down strong infrastructure and building a modern economy should be shared with Pakistan.

Training Pakistani farmers in modern agricultural methods and helping rural Pakistanis in re-building their now destroyed businesses and farm houses in the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, is in Australia’s own interests.

Advertisement

Engagements in Pakistan would benefit ordinary Pakistanis and Australians alike.

Active multi-layer commitments in Pakistan would mean more local jobs for Australians and higher tax revenues for the government; as increasing collaboration would mean greater production of agricultural fertilisers and medicines, among other things, in Australian laboratories and factories.

Increasing trade with Pakistan would enable large Australian businesses to establish their presence in that critically important region.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Mehroz Siraj is a journalist with more than five years of writing and reporting experience having worked with newspapers in Pakistan, and on many websites around the world. Mehroz is a Pakistani international student at RMIT University.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Mehroz Siraj

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy