Pakistans image has been tarnished by world outside?

It has been portrayed as non-tolerant society and affected our tourism industry. Prepare a plan to enhance the soft image of Pakistan.

High Flyers
Arslan Aslam Sohaib Ejaz

BAM-9234 BAM-9226 BAM-9227 BAM-9232

Usman Asif Sana Tehreem

Geographical Location of Pakistan

Pakistan is located in the hub of Asia and has very important countries all around its location. It has its border with India, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Iran and Arabian Sea which increases the strategic and geographical location of Pakistan. International community is focused on every political change in Pakistan because of Pakistan's involvement in fighting the war against terrorism. Pakistan is a great Muslim country with rich culture but has been suffering a lot because of terrorism which is coming from Afghanistan and other countries. Pakistan is fighting bravely against the terrorism therefore any change in Pakistan's political system does become the center of attention of the whole international community. Pakistan has been considered as N-11 countries which are expected to be powerful in the coming century. We hope that Pakistan gets rid of the terrorism issues and again prosper.

Pakistans Image
Before 1980 in the 20th Century, the image/reputation of Pakistan was well and good but now its image has been tarnished by outside world. Presently Pakistan is the most misunderstood country in the world and it is considered a non-tolerant society by world outside. Terrorism in Pakistan had many caused many bad effect and image around the world. The root causes are religious extremism, war in Afghanistan, poverty, social inequality, and illiteracy. Some of the main effects are bombings, killings, and assassinations especially of police and military personnel which thus created a very bad image of Pakistan. The Religious extremism is caused by Madrasas (a school and hostel attached to a mosque in which religious teaching is given). The effects of these are terrorism, bombings, and killings. Here is an example of religious extremism. The terrorists of Lal Masjid wanted to make their own Islamic Government and would not listen to anybody. So, a military operation was done by the Pakistan Army. Many people were killed in the mosque. Poverty, illiteracy, social inequality is also a cause of terrorism. All these have made the poor of the northern areas unhappy with the government and other rich people. Because of this unhappiness, many poor people have become terrorists. Pakistan is with America against the Taliban. The effect of this is that the terrorists of Taliban have also started attacking Pakistan. As a result of terrorism, Pakistan has got a bad image and most of the foreigners have stopped visiting or have left this country.

Therefore, in this terrible time we must have good leaders in this country. The leaders we have do not control the country well enough. To improve the situation, we need to get rid of these leaders who think of themselves more than the country and its people.

10 Basic Reasons Why Pakistan Has a Bad image

If Pakistan has a bad image globally today that is because there are many, many bad things happening in Pakistan. The following are the 10 reasons why Pakistan is facing a serious image problem in the global community today:

1. Terrorist attacks
Suicide attacks in the name of religion have greatly marred Pakistans image in the eyes of the rest of the world. Islam is a religion of peace and teaches love and tolerance, not hatred and indifference towards other religions. Many religious militant groups are tarnishing the name and reputation of Pakistan in the eyes of the global community. To curb these religious extremists it is vital to build up the lost image and glory of Pakistan and control these forces. Before 2001 there was not a single suicide attack in Pakistan and now The annual death from terrorist attacks has risen from 164 in 2003 to 3318 in 2009, with a total of 35,000 Pakistanis killed as of 2010. Government of Pakistan cost $68 billion yearly on controlling of these terrorist attacks.

2. Corruption
Corruption is rampant in Pakistan from grass root level. Starting from a low paid clerk to a highly posted bureaucratic, corruption has become a part of Pakistani system.

3. Political uncertainty
The political system of our country is highly unpredictable and volatile. Due to this there arise many problems including lack of foreign investment, detoriating global political standing, incomplete and inefficient economic policies etc.

4. Law and order

We are viewed as one of the most lawless states in Asia where there is little law and almost no order. Kidnapping for ransom has become one of the most profitable businesses in Pakistan. The percentage of acuities, thefts, car snatching, bank robberies etc have all been on the rise lately. Image of Pakistan Army and ISI Also Affected By Raymond Davis Release : Everyone knows the Image the Pakistanis Politicians in the views of Public of Pakistan. Pakistani Public considers their top politicians Corrupt, Thieves and Puppets of United States. But If Any Institution has respect in hearts of Pakistani Public that is Pakistan Army and ISI. People of Pakistan feel proud about their Arm Forces. Several Acts of Former Military Dictators Pervez Musharraf like Lal Masjid Operation badly damaged the Image of Pakistan Army but Present Army Chief General Kayani was successfully able to recover the damaged caused in Musharraf rule. However some recent Incidents are once again affecting the Image of Pakistan Army Forces and Its Intelligence Agency ISI. Few weeks earlier CIA Agent Raymond Davis who killed two Pakistanis in Lahore was released by Pakistani Government and everyone knows that it was not possible until Pakistan Army allows it. Silence on Drone Attacks By Pakistan Army is also creating Questions in minds of Pakistani people. Few days back 40 Innocent Pakistanis where killed in a US Drone Strike in North Waziristan. After drone attack Army Chief Kayani condemned this attack. On the Condemnation of this drone Attack by General Kayani most of the Pakistanis reacted like this on Twitter and Facebook. We have kept one million army just to condemn such attacks Where are our F-16 and F18 Jets? So Pakistan Army need to take such steps which can bring them closer to people of Pakistan because no army can win without support of their public. Enemies of Pakistan also want to create differences between Pakistan Arm Forces and its Public.

5. Military Coup and operations

Since the inception of Pakistan, military dictatorship has prevailed in our country. In almost all developed countries of the world democracy is the system of government. A democratic nation is a highly successful and reputable nation. Pak Army did following operations; Waziristan War (2004- Present) Lal Masjid Operation (2007) Swat operation(2009)

Waziristan War:

The fighting began in 2004, when Pakistan's army entered the region in search of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters who were using Waziristan as a base for attacks against American and Allied forces in Afghanistan. Lal Masjid Operation: Siege of Lal Masjid on July 2007 was between Islamic militants and the Govt. of Pakistan led by General Pervez Musharraf. Maulana Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi started to impose Sharia Law in Pakistan. The media tells about only 100 to 150 people killed in this operation but form other independent recourses it was said than more than 800 people were killed in this operation including the innocent women and children. Swat operations: Swar operation also known as Operation Rah-e-Rast, began in 2009 and involved the Pakistani Army and Islamic militants in a fight for control of the Swat district of Pakistan. The first battle of Swat had ended with a peace agreement that the government had signed with the Taliban in February 2009.

6. Economic Instability
Economic instability in Pakistan is due to lack of foreign investment in the country. Foreign investment will not only provide more foreign exchange but will also lead to decrease in the rising unemployment rate of the country.

7. Illiteracy
An important weapon in the progress of any nation is manpower. Without an educated workforce, prosperity is unattainable. Unfortunately majority of the population in our country is uneducated leading to slow growth and progress.

8. Flight of Youth
Due to growing insecurity and lack of job opportunities, the youth of Pakistan is going abroad for a better future instead of contributing to the countrys development. How to stop this brain drain is an important question which needs to be answered. Our youth can play a major role by involving itself in nation building activities and contributing towards a progressive Pakistan.

9. Disrespect for Women

Honor killings, female infanticide, rape, sexual abuse, child molestation are a common feature of Pakistani society. Due to the complicated and corrupted system of justice women in Pakistan are deprived of their basic rights. The victims are not provided timely justice .Furthermore; time and again they are abused and exploited at the hands of the merciless society.

10. Lack of patriotism

We, as a nation have no love and respect for our country. We are ashamed to call ourselves Pakistanis .If we cannot show appreciation and respect for our country and develop a sense of ownership and belonging to this homeland, why should we expect others to do so.

Role of US and NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO Organisation also called the (North) Atlantic Alliance, it is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defense whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. An additional 22 countries participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programs. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defense spending. US-Afghan war: The 11 September attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter for the first time in its history. The Article says that an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all. The invocation was confirmed on 4 October 2001 when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty. The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the attacks included Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour, a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea and is designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction as well as to enhance the security of shipping in general which began on 4 October 2001. Despite this early show of solidarity, NATO faced a crisis little more than a year later, when on 10 February 2003, France and Belgium vetoed the procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq. Germany did not use its right to break the procedure but said it supported the veto. On the issue of Afghanistan on the other hand, the alliance showed greater unity: on 16 April

2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two nations leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked the first time in NATO's history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area. Canada had originally been slated to take over ISAF by itself on that date. ISAF was initially charged with securing Kabul and surrounding areas from the Taliban, al Qaeda and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai. In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan, and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country. On 31 July 2006, the ISAF additionally took over military operations in the south of Afghanistan from a US-led anti-terrorism coalition. Due to the intensity of the fighting in the south, in 2011 France allowed a squadron of Mirage 2000 fighter/attack aircraft to be moved into the area, to Kandahar, in order to reinforce the alliance's efforts. NATO is also training the military of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Police to be better equipped in forcing out the Taliban.

Drone Attacks in Pakistan: The United States government has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) controlled by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division. These attacks are part of the United States' War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan. Most of these attacks are on targets in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Northwest Pakistan. These strikes have increased substantially under the Presidency of Barack Obama. Some media refer to the series of attacks as a "drone war". Pakistan's government publicly condemns these attacks, but has secretly shared intelligence with the United States and also allegedly allowed the drones to operate from Shamsi Airfield in Pakistan until 21 April 2011, when 150 Americans left the base. According to secret diplomatic cables leaked by Wikileaks, Pakistan's Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani not only tacitly agreed to the drone flights, but in 2008 requested Americans to increase them. However, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said, "drone missiles cause collateral damage. A few militants are killed, but the majority of victims are innocent citizens." The strikes are often linked to Anti-American sentiment in Pakistan and the growing questionability of the scope and extent of CIA activities in Pakistan. The chart below will show you how many people are killed in this operation:

Drone attack in Pakistan: 2005-2012 chart

Year
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total* Incidents 1 0 1 19 46 90 59 18 234 Killed 1 0 20 156 536 831 548 130 2222 Injured 0 0 15 17 75 85+ 52 7 251+

Abbotabad Operation (2011): Osama bin Laden, the former head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda known for the September 11 attacks, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 am local time by Navy SEALs of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group. The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was ordered by United States President Barack Obama and carried out in a Central Intelligence Agency-led operation. Participating units included the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six), the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and CIA operatives. The raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan was launched from Afghanistan. After the raid, U.S. forces took bin Laden's body to Afghanistan for identification, then buried it at sea within 24 hours of his death. Al-Qaeda confirmed the death on May 6 with posts made on militant websites, vowing to avenge the killing. Other Pakistani militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also vowed retaliation against the U.S. and against Pakistan for not preventing the operation. Bin Laden's killing was generally favorably received by U.S. public opinion; was welcomed by the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, and a large number of governments; but was condemned by some, including Fidel Castro of Cuba and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas administration of the Gaza Strip. Legal and ethical aspects of the killing, such as his not being taken alive despite being unarmed, were questioned by others, including Amnesty International. Also controversial was the decision to not release any photographic or DNA evidence of bin Laden's death to the public.

Salalah checkpost Attack (2011): Salala incident occurred when U.S.-led NATO forces engaged Pakistani security forces at two Pakistani military check posts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on Saturday, 26 November 2011. Two NATO Apache helicopters an AC-130 gunship and two F-15E Eagle fighter jets entered by varying estimates as little as 200 meters (660 ft) to up to 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles), into the Pakistani border area of Salala in the Baizai subdivision of Mohmand Agency, FATA at 2 a.m. local time, from across the border in Afghanistan and opened fire at two border patrol check-posts, killing up to 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 13 others. The two Pakistan Army check-posts were codenamed "Boulder" and "Volcano" respectively. This attack resulted in a deterioration of relations between Pakistan and the United States. The Pakistani public reacted with protests all over the country and the government took measures adversely affecting the US exit strategic from Afghanistan including the evacuation of Shamsi Airfield and closure of the NATO supply line.

Who is responsible for Pakistan's Bad Image?

Pakistani Media: Pakistani media is portraying us bad. It is responsible for the bad image of Pakistan as they usually show only negative aspects of our country. Overseas Pakistani: Overseas Pakistanis when go abroad they also talk on the negativity of Pakistan and portrays a bad image of Pakistan. Our Enemies: Our enemies like India, Israel and militant groups like Al Qaeda and Taliban, are responsible for our bad image around the world. Our Government: Our Pro American Government and our corrupt leaders; US has short term commitments to achieve long term goals and use our policies makers as puppets. Our Nation: We have an ethical problem; we always blame on others and have not true intentions to do the work. The religious Scholars: The religious scholars who are backbone of our religion are now also portraying a bad image. Many of the scholars are no doubt on a right path and follow the teaching of Quran and the teachings of prophet Muhammad but some of the scholars who have hatred in mind and are extremist and dont have a correct knowledge but call themselves a Islamic scholars therefore spread wrong information and teachings in the environment and surroundings which lead to a big conflict and create a hatred and war among each other and

these than become suicide bombers or do target killing in the name of ALLAH knowing that they are on a right path but the fact is that they are wrong and will be punished very severely on the judgment day.

Image of Neighboring countries Vs Pakistan

India: Indian Media; which always portrays a great Indian picture and shows a positive image of its country. India is still a safe place to visit for the tourist. World appreciates India as a democratic state. India also has a good Relationship with the countries around the world. China: China has very much rich in culture and is known as a well developed country around the world. China has good economic system and its economy is increasing day by day and the fact of all the level of corruption is very low in china. Iran: Govt. of Iran is not a pro-American. In fact they are totally against the pro-American policies. It is also considered as negative country.

Pakistans image affecting Tourism

The number of foreign tourist arrivals in the South Asia region was 5 million in 1998.Pakistan's share of tourist arrivals was 7.6% Of the 420,000 tourists visiting in 1999; the largest share of around 125,000 came from the United Kingdom. According to Ministry of Tourism, in 2001, before the 9/11 attacks, 1,400 foreigners headed to northern areas. However, in 2002 only 99 mountaineers ventured to Pakistan. A foreign government is also asking their citizens to avoid visiting Pakistan.

Recommendation to enhance soft image of Pakistan

Our country should produce engineers, doctors, scientists and true religious scholars (not extremist). Govt. of Pakistan should take steps to control drone attacks in Pakistan. The Pak Army itself should do operations against militants in Pakistan (not with Americans) because foreign media is continuously tarnishing our country image. Govt. of Pakistan should give limited access to Americans because US is using our leaders, our policies makers or strategic planners as puppets so our policies and commitments should be changed with US. Our Govt. should provide necessities of life to its civilian properly. There should be proper implementation of Law and Order in the Pakistan. Our media should not highlight the negative points. It should Market our Country Properly and should enhance soft image of Pakistan towards world outside. Pakistani Ambassadors should display good image through good behavior with foreigners. The quality of education should be improved as the illiterate rate is very high in are country Airports play a role as marketing vehicles so as to market the whole country, So our airports should be supportive and more friendly to European and American airlines and there the airports must be managed with good and high class malls so that any one who lands at Lahore or Karachi airport gets attracted. Promotion of culture, art should be there to enhance Pak's image abroad. Our tourism industry should do effort to promote tourism in Pakistan that will also secure our image. In the last Ethical Awareness is needed to our nation.