Himself an economist, Shaukat Aziz rightly struck the right note during his recent visit to Tripoli he asked Libya to help Pakistan develop trade relations with other African countries. Music to the ears of any businessman, however, Pakistanis are sure to reap bonanza of new shored up trade relations if the activities of Commerce and Trade section at Pakistan Embassy Tripoli are augmented in line with the ambitions of Pakistan’s Prime Minister.

At Tripoli, he expressed the confidence his visit would further strengthen the multi-faceted bilateral ties, deeply rooted in common history, culture and religion, and open up new avenues of cooperation between the two countries in economic, political, defence and diplomatic fields.

One hopes that our establishment remains alive to the fact that brotherly relations between two countries based on faith and common cause do not run out of steam. The only relation that survives and weathers all storms of regional and global politics is the relation based on nations’ economic interests which in sugar-coated term are called national interests.

Highly skilled professionals as well as skilled and semi-skilled workers from more than fifteen nations including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Poland, Germany and Ukraine are employed in Libya in various categories, however, Pakistanis are considered to be the best and the most friendly people among Libyans whose religious orientation and sensitivities are so akin to those of Pakistanis at all levels that one fails to notice any point of divergence in them.

At Government level, however, we have failed to capitalize on the stock of goodwill, understanding, trust and confidence. Cashing in on the mutual air of intimacy and brotherliness between two people our leaders in the past engaged with Libya only for personal aggrandizement.

Bhutto, quite shrewd and perceptive in all other areas of diplomacy, failed to capitalize on our relation with Libya. We could never go beyond Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Diplomatically Gen Zia was a disaster for Pak-Libya relations and in 1985 our relations with Libya were all times low. Prior to 1985 we were the most present nation on Libyan soil and soon we turned into a minority nation falling short even of paltry Europeans.

The situation now, however, has changed with change at home and 
abroad and the natural warmth and strength of Pak-Libya relations have returned to normalcy. We need to further this trend and go beyond the traditional route of diplomacy and reach out to Libya for mutual progress and development. Libya like Pakistan is a nation in the making. We have a lot in common and can benefit from each other’s experiences of gain and loss. In a big shift from Pan-Arabism, Libya has embarked upon a massive Africanization programme.

The shift is not only ideological it is quite, practical, pragmatic and 
contextual regarding regional exigencies and realities. Libya was part of the Greco-Roman world for long before it became a Muslim-Arab nation. Not many know that the man who bought Plato and freed him from slavery was a businessman from Benghazi.

Presently it has strong ties with black Africa although the nearest black Africans to Libya’s population centres are some 1,000 miles away while Italy is just across the water. However, due to the Lockerbie case and Africa’s unequivocal stand in favour of Libya, its African overtures are serious and deep-rooted. The present rapport and understanding that Libya has developed with most African nations make it the natural leader of Africa for 21st century.

Libya is planning to develop private sector. It is inviting foreign 
investment, quite unthinkable though not so long ago, in many fields and under extremely attractive terms. Having the longest coastline in the Mediterranean and some of the sea’s most beautiful sunny beeches, Libya is laying now greater stress on tourism and creating a lot of new jobs and investment opportunities. In its massive drive to privatization and economic reform.

Libya intends to transfer the ownership of most State-owned industries to private companies. Present day Libya is quite alive to the fact that in an era of global market economy it cannot remain isolated with sole dependence on exhaustible and undependable oil revenue.

Pakistan can go a long way in extending a hand of cooperation giving a new fillip to their economic and commercial ties and help Libya to diversify its resources to lay a foundation for a sound and dependable all-weather economy.

Libyan Economy is opening up, therefore, there is a vast scope for private sector both from Pakistan and Libya to enter into joint ventures. Of course, for any such activity the organizing role of relevant Government institutions and agencies is vital which after the recent visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz need to be set into action. Pakistan can help Libya in banking sectors, which is being modernized according to Government’s shifts in economic policies.

Quite in line with the need of the hour, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz 
during his visit reportedly has offered Pakistan’s expertise to Libya in 
international banking sector to help the country improve this vital sector. According to the news reports talking to Farhad Iqdarah, Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Prime Minister Aziz said ‘Pakistan was among the top ten countries which have successfully brought about a significant change in their banking and financial systems. He said almost 80 per cent of the banks in Pakistan were owned by the private sector and most were of foreign origin .’

Libya requires Pakistan’s full cooperation in skilled manpower, besides cooperation in defence, security, energy and education sectors. Present day Pakistan is fully equipped to enter into an all encompassing full-scale economic relationship with Libya that is mutually beneficial for both nations. Pakistan can enter Africa through Libya for an ever-expanding market that despite its present setbacks has a promising future.

Information

Highly skilled professionals as well as skilled and semi-skilled workers from more than fifteen nations including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Poland, Germany and Ukraine are employed in Libya in various categories, however, Pakistanis are considered to be the best and the most friendly people among Libyans whose religious orientation and sensitivities are so akin to those of Pakistanis at all levels that one fails to notice any point of divergence in them.



First appeared in Pakistan Observer on June 07, 2006