CHAIRMAN MESSAGE

The setting up of the PakistanCouncil on foreign Relations,Economic,Law and Cultural Affairs (PCFR),Karachi, is an important step to promote understanding of foreign policy, economic and cultural issues amongst Pakistanis,particularly those residing in Karachi, view to promote friendship and understanding between nations.I laud this commendable initiative by Mr.Ahsan Mukhtar Zubairi,who had earlier pioeered the setting up of the first such think tank in Karachi.

Karachi is justifiably called ‘Mini-Pakistan’ with a population of over twenty million ,consisting of practically all ethnic groups in the population of Pakistan.It is Pakistan’s main port,the financial hub and the industrial centre of the country.It has the Largest number of educational institutions and hosts the main news media and TV channels.Karachi is one of the world’s great metropolis and has all the facilities of modern city.It is only befitting that it should have many thinks tanks,taking benefit from the wisdom and experience of a great many Karachiites who have excelled in so many professions. PCFR is expected to fulfil the role.

Pakistan is the 5th most populous country in the world and the second largest in the Muslim world, consisting of over states.It is the only Muslim country with nuclear-weapons and enjoys a key geostrategic location.It has emerged as an important player in regional and global politics .However, Pakistan continues to face serious challenges in security,economy,development and governance.Pakistan’s security continues to be threatened by its larger neighbour India, whose unending hostility and, particularly, its repression of the Kashmiri people, are the reasons for the grave tension between the two nuclear-armed countries.In addition, the warfare in neighbouring Afghanistan and the issue of terrorism pose grave challenges to Pakistan’s security.Foreign Policy has always played a central role in the promotion of the Pakistan’s vital national interests and has been described as the first line of its defence. This state of affairs is likely to continue in the foreseeable future .It is ,therefore,important that the best minds in Pakistan should be employed in thinks thinks tanks, working out possible strategies and foreign policy options for the advancement of the country’s best interests.This responsibility should not be left to be borne only by the governing class and a handful of bureaucrats. The same applies to the management of the economy and trade, where Pakistan’s performance could and should have been far better.Proactive and creative thinking is needed if the country is to reach its true potential.It is hoped that PCFR,along with similar bodies, will make a significiant contribution in this respect.

In addition, the PCFR is providing a useful platform to foreign Ambassodors, scholars and eminent individuals, who visit Karachi, to meet a cross-section of our society for inner-active exchanges of views.Such meetings are manually useful in that the foreign dignitaries have a chance to make an assessment of the views on important issues of eminent Pakistanis, residing in the largest city in Pakistan, while also providing a forum to the foreign visitors to explain the policies of their respective governments.