Pakistan is a nation of paradoxes. We built one of the world’s most advanced nuclear deterrence programmes under sanctions, isolation, and existential pressure—yet we continue to outsource essential nation-building functions to foreign contractors.
We produce world-class engineers who drive innovation in Silicon Valley, Dubai, and Singapore; yet, we rely on foreign consultants to build dams, ports and to develop our industrial policy. We defend our borders with courage, but hire international firms to dredge our seaports and operate vital infrastructure.
This contradiction is not a criticism of Pakistan; it is a wake-up call.
From Nuclear Capability to National Capability
Our nuclear programme demonstrated discipline, secrecy, collaboration, sacrifice, and long-term strategic thinking. Today, the question is simple:
If we could build nuclear capability under pressure, why can’t we build economic capability with the same urgency?
The same mindset that enabled scientific and military excellence must now drive development in the following:
• Water and dam infrastructure
• Ports, dredging, and maritime logistics
• Textiles and value-added manufacturing
• Minerals, energy, and industry
• Agriculture, food security, health, and technology
The problem is not a lack of capacity; it is a matter of national intent and prioritization.
Global Models of Capability-Building
UAE: Ownership, Not Outsourcing
In the 1970s, Abu Dhabi could have relied permanently on foreign dredging companies for its needs. Instead, Sheikh Zayed established a national capability—now ADNOC Dredging—operating internationally. Dubai did the same with DP World, now managing over 70 ports worldwide.
This transformation was built on vision, ownership, and execution, not oil wealth.
Singapore: Merit Over Patronage
Lee Kuan Yew established a disciplined, corruption-intolerant governance system in which public office served the nation, not families or factions. Ministers were paid to remove incentives for graft and prosecuted when trust was violated.
The result: continuity, credibility, and policy excellence.
China: Power Linked to Performance
China’s elites maintain influence only when they deliver outcomes—ports, EV dominance, industrial zones, aerospace, and robotics. Privilege is tied to national contribution; failure carries consequences.
Pakistan’s Structural Failure
Pakistan inherited a system where power is treated as an entitlement rather than a responsibility. Across politics, bureaucracy, business, and state institutions, incentives reward extraction over creation.
When extraction begins at the top, corruption becomes a survival mechanism at the bottom.
This is not about blaming individuals; it is about redesigning incentives.
A nation built on extraction cannot produce prosperity.
A nation built on purpose can transform within a decade.
What Pakistanis Can Build: A Personal View
My experience across continents shows what Pakistani capability can achieve when aligned with national purpose:
At Fairchild Semiconductor in Silicon Valley, I learned industrial discipline and execution culture.
As a founding director, I helped build Zishan Engineers, serving energy and industrial sectors across Asia and Africa.
In Bangladesh, I helped build one of the world’s largest vertically integrated textile parks, employing 70,000 workers and generating approximately $2 billion in output. This park is fully LEED-Platinum certified and nearly zero carbon.
Today in Dubai, I lead SNH Global Innovations with projects in ports, seaweed-to-biochar, maritime infrastructure, and vertical textile parks across the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia, and the GCC.
The writer is a global industrialist and Founder & CEO of SNH Global Innovations DMCC (Dubai), leading major projects across the Caribbean, Africa, Central Asia, and the Gulf.
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