US-Pakistan Relations: The Way Forward - Arz-e-Pak

education of its politicians and legislators. In the long-term, such supportmay constitute America’s greatest contribution to Pakistan. Other major institutionslike the judiciary, police, tax structure, and state bureaucracy alsoneed reform. Again, an approach embedding sound policies and processeswithin the Pakistani bureaucracies need to be consistent with culture and religion.Nevertheless, an innovative program of US-Pakistan exchanges at everylevel of government, including independent assessments of governmentalagencies by combined teams of experts, with follow-up action plans forshort- and long-term reforms, ought to be initiated. The establishment of permanentoversight organizations (inspector generals, governmental accountingoffices) empowered and trained to conduct organizational assessmentsand recommend reforms would go a long way toward improving Pakistani institutions.The United States, with the help of European nations, is already engagedin reforming important institutions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The sametype of investments, at a fraction of the cost, in Pakistan where there is alreadya fairly well developed infrastructure would almost certainly result insuccess.Economic Assistance and Technology TransferAlthough Pakistan has an extremely promising young populationwith a fairly large pool of information technology (IT) experts and nuclearscientists, it is striving to enter the industrial age and has yet to challenge theinformation age. Even its modest consumer-based industries that have continuedto grow have come under tremendous pressure as markets are floodedwith cheap Chinese goods. Pakistan’s economy could be bolstered throughdirect foreign investment in the industrial infrastructure or by means of thetransfer of crucial technologies to the manufacturing sector. The UnitedStates is in a position where it could take highly visible and meaningful actionsto enhance Pakistan’s exports to American markets. Similarly, Pakistanneeds to invest in making its industrial output more competitive on the internationalmarket. American involvement in Pakistani economic developmentcould provide a highly visible means of gaining the confidence of both the Pakistanipeople and the international community, bringing added value to theUS-Pakistani relationship.KashmirThe Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan has remainedunresolved; it provides both risks and opportunities for the US-Pakistan relationship.The dispute has absorbed huge amounts of Indian and Pakistaniresources over the last half-century, and it continues to bleed both countries98 Parameters