Western Terrorist Organization (WTO)

Jan 1 2k5, was supposed to be the set date for the implementation of free trade regime. All the the quotas and trade barriers were lifted from the said date. Every country , developed as well as developing , was made to lift all the import duites, tarrifs , quotas etc to
ensure the smooth sailing of the devilish imperialism of Capitalism. But this ploy proved out to be devastating for the Occident. The Socialist giant of Chinese economy overtook everything in the domain of textile exports. Chinese exports to the US rang the real alarm bells for the local manufacturers, for, the Chinese exports were superior in quality and inferior in retail price. The local Yankee manufacturers succeeded in inciting the Govt. to impose import duties on the cheap and high quality Chinese textile products, for the fear of economic recession in the domestic industry . European Community also made the Chinese imports to embrace the same fate.
Unnecessary and illegetimate imposition of import duties on the Chinese products proved once again , of the double standards, exhibited by the "Draconian West".
Pakistani exports are also enjoying, notwithstanding the free trade laws, an inflatory sum of anti-dumping duty on its various textile products. The EU is earning a huge amount of anti-dumping duty to a tune of $100m. An average amount of $52m is being extorted from Pakistan on the exports worth $400m.
There could be a lot of clauses,in the WTO, to save the EU and the US from the free influx of imports from the countries like China and Pakistan but , as for the Western exports to the developing countries is concerned, WTO ought to be a quota free regime, especially "Vampires" like Pascal Lamay(Ex EU Trade Head).
Recently shipments from Pakistan, carrying seafood , were stoped at the European wharfs and many containers were sent back , on the account of being filled with contaminated with substandard foodstuff.
Pakistan is one of the largest exporters of high quality Basmati rice. But , recently 40 containers of this export were sent back, for being polluted with chemicals. Pakistan is in habit of importing cemically polluted wheat and other staple products, but its EPB and REAP(Rice Exporting Association of Pakistan), are proving out to be real dizzy-drowsy and impotent bodies, esp in the presence of strong venomous Indian lobbies in the Western markets. Our govt. is very fond of making the review committies over these issues. But history bears a solid testimony to the very fact that, these commities are mere tactless bodies, and have never come up with a solution to solve these problems.
There could be a number of solutions to these problems and I invite you people to put forward remedial measures , for , almost half of our Federal Bureaucracy is directly or indirectly remains raveled in these riddles, esp incometax group, cutoms , audit and accounts, and commerce and trade group.

Assalam Alaikum,

That is what u call a hypocricy, u say something and do something completely opposite. Welocome to the world of CAPITALISM.

Thanks.

Salaam,

Dear Brother Naveed, thank you for bringing this to my knowledge. Infact I know very little about this Organisation.

China has always been a threat to our local industries of textile, electronics and toys etc. The same hue and cry is being raised in America. Can you analyse the situation!

Bhai - can you please explain me more about this "Anti-Dumping Tax"?

Presently, I am incompetent to answer your question. I will meet some experienced people and look out for some solution!

Regards,
Adil Memon

__________________
"The race is not over because I haven't won yet."

Adil Memon
Police Service of Pakistan (P.S.P)
37th Common Training Program

dear adil bhai....
as for dumping is concerned , it is the retail price of imported goods at a price, even lower than the wholesale price of local products,,,,it was considered to be a real deadly poison for any local industry b4 WTO.therefore anti-dumping duty was implemented to protect the local industry. But after the implementation WTO global legitimacy regarding the imported goods being sold on dumping prices has taken place(that is without anti-dumping duties).But the owing to the occidental hypocrisy , EU and US think fair to intrude onto the economies of III world countries,on the pretext of free trade , but they can find clauses and laws to restrian other economic giants from transcending into their own corporate realms. The recent ban by the US administration on the US oil company UnOCAL to the chinese oil giant CNOOC, as been another example of western double standards.
As far as your second query regading the uncontrolled influx of chinese goods is concerned, yes; it is an alarming situation. But the savvy solutions are limited. To me following solutions could be feasible to some extent:
1: To make the regional organiztions of developing countries like GCC , ECO , G20 and SAARC , more cohesive and make the trade between the member states more of intranational instead of international. But it could only be feasible if , countries like india do away with their hegemonic utopias .
2: SAFTA could be a good body to carry on with all these things, but again Indian intrasingence of becoming a regional boss , will be devastating for the very spirit of such an agreement.
3: Like yesterday , I again invite my forum fellows to come forward with their ideas, for ,the would be bureaucrats must be equipped with
the knowledge of such riddles and their soultions.

Salaam,

Thanks a lot Naveed Bhai.

I got the definition of that tax right by this time.

Thanks again!

I hope some solution to the dilemmas is formed soon!

Regards,
Adil Memon

__________________
"The race is not over because I haven't won yet."

Adil Memon
Police Service of Pakistan (P.S.P)
37th Common Training Program

Salaam all and Naveed Bhai,

After some cognition and meditation I have come to the conclusion that Pakistan can only survive the wave of Globalization if it enhances its quality side. (how stupid of me )

The below pasted article has some relevance with the subject. Javid Hussain has got some valid points that we can't form an integrated unit with India. He calls for due attention to ECO rather than running behind SAARC.

Javid too doesn't like Indian hegemonic designs. Too bad... Indians ko koi pasand nahin karta .

Which option to choose: Saarc or ECO?

By Javid Husain

THE evolution of the European Union into a dynamic association of European states cooperating for common economic, political and security goals is enviable.

From its modest start as the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952, the phenomenal economic prosperity that Europe has achieved since then has encouraged the growth of regional organizations in other parts of the world. In Asia, Asean, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), GCC and Saarc readily come to mind as examples of regional organizations striving to promote cooperation among the member states in economic and other fields.

While regional cooperation per se is desirable, it is a mistake to assume that any association of regional states can evolve on the lines of the EU or can achieve similar results. In fact, the challenges and the potential of regional organizations vary according to their economic circumstances, cultural and historical backgrounds, geographical location, intra-regional political relations, their world outlook and their vision of the future.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the 13th Saarc Summit concluded in Dhaka again with pious declarations of strengthening regional cooperation but without any real headway on the major issues facing it. The organization remains mired in political disputes among the member states and bogged down by fears of India’s hegemonic designs in the region in both economic and political fields. The resultant lack of trust does not create a propitious climate for the promotion of regional cooperation. Cultural divergences among the member states, particularly between India and Pakistan, add to the list of negative factors militating against regional cooperation in Saarc. In fact, it would be correct to say that Saarc was born with genetic defects which simple declarations cannot eliminate.

It is astonishing that in the debate in Pakistan on regional cooperation, we tend to gloss over the necessary conditions for its success. The main reason for this tendency is an inadequate comprehension of the rationale and the prerequisites for a successful programme of regional cooperation leading to regional integration on the lines of the European Union.

The ability of a regional organization to reap fully the economic and political benefits of inter-state cooperation is determined by the following pre-requisites of a successful scheme of regional cooperation: * Community of interests: There must be a feeling of common identity and common destiny (common goals and aspirations) among the member states.

* Economic complementarities: The economic benefits of regional cooperation will largely be determined by complementarities among the economies of the member states.

* Geographical proximity: Obviously the ability of member states to trade and cooperate with one another will be facilitated if they are located in close proximity to one another geographically.

* Cultural affinities: This factor again facilitates regional cooperation by promoting a feeling of common identity among the member states. It is a major positive factor for regional cooperation within the EU as all of its current members trace their cultural roots to Greco-Roman-Christian civilization. It also explains the EU’s reluctance to admit Turkey, a major Muslim country, in its fold.

* Absence of serious disputes: The presence of serious conflicts among the member states like the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India can act as a major obstacle in the progress of regional cooperation.

* Non-existence of hegemonic designs: As shown by Saarc’s experience, the fear of hegemonic designs of a member state also blocks progress in regional cooperation.

As the process of regional cooperation evolves from programmes of cooperation in various economic fields to the establishment of a free trade area and then to the creation of a customs union leading to an economic union, the economies of the member states are gradually integrated resulting ultimately in the establishment of a single market where goods, capital and people can move freely and in the harmonization of economic and monetary policies. Further, since economic issues cannot be totally separated from political and security issues, there is an inevitable pressure to coordinate foreign and security policies in keeping with the process of integration taking place in the economic field.

These developments lead to several important consequences. Firstly, the decision-making powers on issues of common interest are gradually transferred from national capitals to the headquarters of the regional organization as the process of regional economic integration takes place. Secondly, the bigger state or states tend(s) to dominate the decision-making process of the regional organization. Even if there are checks and balances to counter this tendency, it is likely that the bigger state or states because of their political and economic strength bigger state or states will ultimately dominate the region and the regional policies.

Thirdly, there is an inevitable contradiction between the process of regional integration whose contours will ultimately be defined by the dominant member state(s) and the maintenance of the national identities of the smaller member states. These likely consequences explain the opposition of several Latin American countries to the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) advocated by the US.

It is in the backdrop of the foregoing, that we must examine the current euphoria about Saarc among the policy-making circles in Pakistan some of which have gone to the extent of calling for an economic and monetary union within the Saarc region. Apparently, they are neither aware of the pre-requisites of regional integration nor are they conscious of the long-term consequences of this process for Pakistan in the context of Saarc.

Regional integration within the framework of Saarc would negate the very rationale for the creation of Pakistan because, as explained above, the process of regional integration would submerge Pakistan’s national identity in the bigger and dominant Indian identity. Further, India, because of its preponderant weight within the organization, would in due course dominate the decision-making process in Saarc affecting Pakistan’s economy and even foreign policy as the two cannot be totally segregated. This would be undesirable because, as the history of Pakistan-India relations indicates, there is neither a community of interests nor cultural affinity between India and Pakistan.

After all, it wasn’t that long that the forces of the two countries were facing each other along the common border. India’s goal is to establish its hegemony in South Asia and the Indian ocean region. We are opposed to this Indian ambition. We want a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people while New Delhi considers Kashmir as its integral part. The world-views of India and Pakistan are also widely different if not contradictory.

In fact, Pakistan’s cultural roots lie in the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the GCC. The following quotation from the Quaid-i-Azam’s reply to Gandhi’s denial of Muslim nationality should suffice to bring out the cultural divergence between Pakistan and India:

“We maintain and hold that Muslims and Hindus are two major nations by any definition or test of a nation. We are a nation of a hundred million and, what is more, we are a nation with our own distinctive culture and civilization, language and literature, art and architecture, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral codes, customs and calendar, history and traditions, aptitudes and ambitions. In short, we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law we are a nation.”

This is not an argument for creating tensions in our relations with India or for writing off Saarc. In fact, we do need to develop tension-free and good-neighbourly relations with India. We also need to resolve peacefully the outstanding disputes with India.

Similarly, as far as Pakistan is concerned, Saarc does have a role to play for the promotion of regional cooperation in a limited framework, including trade on a level playing field basis but not for the purpose of regional integration through the establishment of economic and monetary union. The establishment of such a union would mean that India would achieve its long-cherished aim of negating the very existence of an independent and sovereign Pakistan without having fired a shot.

For Pakistan, it is the ECO which meets all the prerequisites of regional cooperation leading to regional integration. The organization has a vast potential for the expansion of regional economic cooperation as it is based on the solid foundation of economic complementarities, common cultural heritage, geographical proximity and the absence of serious disputes and hegemonic designs among its members.

It is a sad commentary on Pakistan’s foreign policy that it is precisely this organization with promising prospects for regional cooperation for our country, which has received little attention from our policy-makers during the past several years, partly because of the fiasco of our Afghanistan policy of the 1990s lasting till 9/11. The changed environment in Afghanistan provides Pakistan with an opportunity for creative diplomacy for exploiting the full potential of the ECO for regional cooperation in collaboration with other member states, including Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and the Central Asian Republics and for safeguarding our long-term national interests.

The writer is a former ambassador and permanent representative to ECO.

__________________
"The race is not over because I haven't won yet."

Adil Memon
Police Service of Pakistan (P.S.P)
37th Common Training Program

dear adil bhai ...it was really irrational of me to mention india as one of the good colaborators with us on our journey to neutralize the occidental onslaught ...................well ECO is a real dynamic body to carry on with our ambition to becoming a fully self reliant state , industrially as well as in the field of agronomy....it could also pave the way for making the Umma a more cohesive as well as a mobilised body, instead of depending upon the ever impotent OIC(read: "oh I see").....as for your animosity and abhorrence
for india ,,, i wanna make you clear that if u are serious about your "crush india" project, then you might find me one of your vanguard warriors on your way to chop the kaffirs,,, alogside sheikh osama bin laden