Economic Concerns About Pakistan
While many analysts, CEOs, and investors remain bullish on Pakistan's economy, here's a contrarian view by Lee Hudson Teslik on the dangers ahead for Pakistan: Pakistan has become a land of what-ifs. Analysts speculate on a wide range of fallout scenarios for the country: suppose President Pervez Musharraf’s regime falls; or Musharraf’s crackdowns disillusion moderate Pakistanis and embolden Islamist extremists; or the country’s nuclear weapons aren’t as secure as official assurances suggest. On the economic front, there’s no need for guesswork—Pakistan’s turmoil has already pinched the country’s economy, stoking inflation and prompting concerns among regional trading partners. Voice of America (VOA), the U.S.-funded broadcast network, reports on a worsening of endemic economic problems in the country following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in late December. Pakistan’s central bank lowered its growth forecasts (Reuters) for 2007/2008 in early January, bu...