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Pakistan has been named “The World’s Most Dangerous Place” in this week’s The Economist magazine. While it is true that Pakistan is somewhat dangerous, and things weren’t too good for the few days following Benazir’s assassination, but is it really dangerous enough to be placed #1 on the list?
Is this an attempt to mentally prepare the Western public for another war? After Afghanistan and Iraq, are we next on the USA’s hit-list? The complete article can be found here. However, I do agree that if Pakistan keeps going in the current direction, we are surely headed straight to become one hellhole.
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Tags: economist, most dangerous place, Pakistan, world
42 responses so far ↓
1 unbelievable // Jan 5, 2008 at 12:40 am
I guess this is what Pakistan can thank the returning Benazir for. Her arrival and subsequent death took the country back at least 10 years.
2 yahya // Jan 5, 2008 at 12:41 pm
in one sentence i would like comment ””” yes indeed”” the most dangours plce in the world
3 yahya // Jan 5, 2008 at 12:42 pm
hi add me
4 Sufi // Jan 8, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Pakistan is indeed the world’s most dangerous country of the world. To support this argument I would like to go back to the very begining of the inception of Pakistan when the charismatic leader and founder of Pakistan was murered. Then the PM was shot dead and the dark period of martial laws started.
Ayub Khan and Yahya khan igniged the sepratist Bengali movement and the 1971 carnage erupted. Instead of transfering power to Awami League,Bengalis were call traiter and the the aftermath of the militry operation is known to everyone.
Then comes the era of fanatic Zia who hatched a conspiracy to topple the government of the elected PM and imposed martial law. He introduced the US sharia of Klashankov,dugs,religious extremism,fanaticism,hatred,suicide ware house (Madrassahs) and hypocricy.As soon as the His master realised that the job is finished ZIA was shown the door of hell.
Another U-turn came with the arrival of Musarraf,who raised the voice of ” War on Terror”. The elements,who were patronized by the CIA,ISI and generals to fight the US jihad against the Soviets were declared terrorists.And the US war on terror started.
The daily suicide attacks and the uncertainity has infused a spirit to this notion that “Pakistan is the world’s most dangerous. This country would become more dangerous until and unless the the White House plan of destablization is on cards. Generals would follow the plan.
We had seen the caricature episode a year ago when our own people instead of fighting the culpirts destroyed public assets worth of 20 billion. Those who were protesting are believed to be the follower of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) showed extreme fatalism of hatred towards other fellow Muslims.
Today the wound inflicted upon the masses by the Generals for the last 60 years looks very grave. The pridiction of tomorrow is destruction and ruin. May God save us from the wrath of US agent generals.
Truely if the people of Pakistan are adamant to recognize the enemy within,the ultimate answer would be the traiter generals and their masters.
General Ayub Khan to Musharraf all are traiters of this nation.
Because of the policies they followed,Pakistan has really become the most dangerous country-at the brink of collapse.
5 Hasan // Jan 9, 2008 at 11:32 am
Yes this is very true and that why we have to support Musaraf cause he is the only guy left in this country who can save pakistan but if the ppl of pakistan support him so if we are true to our country we have to support him GEO MUSARAF GEO PAKISTAN ARMY …
6 Oppenheim // Jan 14, 2008 at 7:46 am
Shame on The Economist for encouraging a perception of place that may have more to do with selling magazine covers than with any political or social reality observed in Pakistan.
Negative data associated with conflict –murders, bombings, firefights, population dead or displaced–out of Iraq and Somalia, possibly among others, would far exceed in both intensity and extent any similar data farmed out of Pakistan in 2007.
Although Pakistan’s stat for journalists killed in 2007 matches the count in Somalia — N=7 — conditions under which Somalian journalists work may be considered even more risky than those encountered in Pakistan. While the government there also runs rough on journalists, albeit possibly to protect its investigations, criminals and warlords in addition to what Shabelle Media refers to as “Islamists” seem not to have much use for journalists either.
Language, including inflammatory newspaper writing, may influence or even fuel conflict. In humans, the gift of language becomes a cultural technology, inextricably bound to behavior.
To be less philosophicle (or philological) the Scylla and Charybdis in media are censorship and propaganda, and no reader with a connection to the Internet need now put up with either.
Check the numbers before accepting the verdict, sez I.
7 vivek // Jan 17, 2008 at 12:59 am
That to me rubbish no country in the world can be declared the most corrupt country this is just a tac to up their sales and get into the good books of powers who influence the global economic as well as foreign policy .first we need to clear abt the factors that r to be used as benchmarks for assessing corruption its not always the economics but also socio-cultural factors that play a major role.
8 Salman // Jan 29, 2008 at 6:21 am
Sufi, quote: “To support this argument I would like to go back to the very begining of the inception of Pakistan when the charismatic leader and founder of Pakistan was murered.”
Please tell me when and who murdered the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah?
9 usman // Feb 23, 2008 at 6:16 am
At tje momemt, one option to save pakistan from a theif (asif zardari), pumpkin (kadddu, Nawaz Sharif)
is imran khan or political system tht can encourage educated and wise leaders to come forward for administration and management of country.
10 baba jee // Feb 23, 2008 at 9:42 am
REF :: SUFI………
Sir, we all know the history of our country so you dont have to repeat it over and over again ….still you have not mentioned what was the role of ZA bhutto in 1971 ….dont you know that he is the one who did not want shiek mujibur rehman to come and sit in Islamabad ….that is why he said to him that udhar tum-idhar hum……that was when Pakistan was declaired two seprate nations ……
Please coute history truthfully…….the founder of Pakistan died a natural death peacefully …..he was not murdered …..
i see some people have the habit of makeing masala new out of everything …and sir , you are one of them sadly .
11 India // Mar 23, 2008 at 10:52 am
Pakistan is so poor. India has a per capita income much higher than Pakistan. Pakistan has also lost all of the 4 wars it has fought with India.
12 @*(0$$%m@9^&%l // Mar 23, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Excuse me India! Pakistan was never the dangerous country until counrties like you destroyed it! many countries in the world today envy us because today pakistan is top in the world regarding it’s nuclear power. Today what we have the others don’t. Americans are blaming Al-Qaeda for the terrorism in the world but are we blind. Islam is a religion which support peace and serenity not war. and no matter how strict a muslim is he will always fear and think twice before killing another muslim. People of our country are trying to escape from here but there are also some people that have the spirit.
And India please don’t comment cuz you know nothing about pakistan just the news about bomb blasts.and secondly we aren’t poor!
And Sufi………….please study a couple of books and then comment on our great leader. we respect him alot and I think that no pakistani would like to murder him. I think you MURDERED HIM!
Well whatever the world says about my country, my favorite country will be pakistan and I am Pround to be a pakisatni!!!!
13 ibrahim munir // Mar 24, 2008 at 3:12 am
Hey indian do u even know the real facts and figures our hallats are a lot behtar than urs our per capita is greater than urs according to the recent world bank report.Our stock market is in a much better condition than urs as it has managed to survive inspite of all the recent ongoing hallat.Where as ur stock exchange was even not able to face the after math impact of the 9/11 incident.
Which four wars are you talking about?
1)1948 in which we beat the crap out of you and liberated the northern areas and azad kashmir from the indian held kashmir what a victory eh?
2)1962 China bangs india in kashmir india suffering a humiliating defeat.
3)1965 No need to mention the way our jawans took the war within your own territory and beat the hell out of u guys inspite u shamefully attacked lahore without any declaration of war but afterwards war ended with several indian villages and town under pakistani control such towns includes Munna bao and khem karan.(I am having the pictures of pakistani flag flying with all its might our ur buildings if u wanna see them then do tell me).Lets also not forget u guys according to pakistani claims lost 119 of ur fighter jets with another 2 of ur jets got captured(i am also having their pics) where as we only lost 19 of our fighter jets eventually india unable to bear its baizti went to the UN and asked for a cease fire aur hum nae bhi tars kha kar jang bandi ka alan kardia.
3)1971 ok i admit we lost but we lost due to the political upheavel in pakistan secondly our forces in east pakistan were limited we were only having one airfield in dhaka with only 10 F-86 sabres and still ur huge cowardice Indian airforce was no match against our shaheens and when u were unable to destroy those 10 jets u destroyed the runway khair in 1971 our aerial victories were more than urs khair i admit we lost but still tum laug sharm karoo.
Kargil once again we kicked ur asses
abt 400-500 pakistani mujahids raised shahadat and sent about 3500-4000 of ur troops towards hell pluss shot down 2 of ur migs (again i am having their pictures being hunted down by pakistan army air defence arm) and 1 helicopter.
SO there is a valuable lesson here for u guys
DONT MESS WITH US WARNA MUON KEI KHAO GAE.
14 @m789@^7%l // Mar 24, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I agree with Ibrahim Munir! What does india think that they are better than us. In no means they are batter than us. One of my relative told that Wahan itney ghurbat hai keh people wander off naked!!!
well over here nothing like this is being observed
15 A(*&^%$m!@$%^l // Mar 25, 2008 at 3:08 pm
no matter whoever says that pakistan is the most dangerous country but to me pakisatn rocks and I love MY COUNTRY!!!
16 waqar // May 15, 2008 at 12:38 pm
mera name waqar ha aur mei Pakistan sa hoo.Pakistan ka aik chota sa gao khuian sa hoo.mugha fakher ha ka mein Pakistani hoo.
ham Pakistanio ka eman ha ka Paistan ha to ham hein.pakistan nahee to kuch bhi nahee.ham dangerious hein un ka lia jo kashmir mein dashatgardi ker rha hein.ham apni jaan bhi qurban ker dein ga ager kisi na pakistan ka khilaf ungli bhi uthai to INSHALLAH.ham na india ko 1965 mein badtreen shikast di ha.aj bhi hamien azma ker dekh lo.hamra nara ha fatha ya shahadat INSHALLAH.
NARA TAQBEER ALLAH HO AKBER
17 waqar // May 15, 2008 at 12:39 pm
PAKISTAN GOD BLESS YOU
18 waqar // May 15, 2008 at 12:40 pm
INDIA adds phelana wala sab sa bara mulk ha kio ka wha ghurbat ha mehngai ha .aurat ko show peace bana ker pesh kia jata ha
19 waqar // May 15, 2008 at 12:43 pm
ibrahim munir you are really great person.i am also with you
20 waqar // May 16, 2008 at 3:01 pm
america dunia ka sab sa khatanak mulk ha jis ki waja sa israiel bhi dashatgerdi ker rha ha.in ka khilaf koi bolaya jang kera to usa dashatgerd kha jata ha ha lekin haqeeqat mein wo jihad ker rha hota ha.
21 PAKI THUG // May 20, 2008 at 11:25 pm
MESS WITH THE BEST DIE LIKE DA REST U INDIAN DOGS . ALLAH HU AKBAR!!!!!!!!
22 najmi // May 20, 2008 at 11:40 pm
is pai dil qurban ispai jan bhi qurban hai
yea mera pakistan hai yea tera pakistan hai
long live pakistan
country of real lions
23 AIsha // May 23, 2008 at 5:05 am
I LOVE MA PAKISTAN!..NO MATTERWHAT WE GO THROUGH NO MATTER HOW BAD THE SITUATION IS IT IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE!!..tHIS IS TH ETIME OF TRIAL NAD THIS IS THE TIME EVERY PAKISTANI SHOULD COME TOGETHER AND PROVE WHAT A GREAT NATION WE ARE!
24 AIsha // May 23, 2008 at 5:08 am
“kITNAY BHUTTO MARO GAY HAR GHAR SE BHUTTO NIKLAY GA!!”….DATS TRUE BENAZIR HAS LEFT A GREAT IMPACT ON THE MINDS OF THE PAKISTANI YOUTH NAD IT WILL REMAIN THAT WAY…WE HAVE BILAWALS BACK!
N YES INDIA SHUT UP..UR A FOOL N U KNOW NOTHING!..BUTT OUT F R BUSSINESS!
25 Pakistani // May 30, 2008 at 1:13 am
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD
GOD BLESS PAKISTAN
26 Pakistani // May 30, 2008 at 1:16 am
I am proud to be pakistani and will always be proud.
EAST OR WEST PAKISTAN IS THE BEST!!
27 $@llu bhai // Jul 13, 2008 at 12:41 am
Dear country mates,,,,
This is not the time for jazbati taqreer, please be realistic, Pak is the most dangerous country in the world becoz it has the potential to turn tables on the western hegemony. The only nuclear detterant muslim country,,,but this nuke factor can become our curse coz this will give an excuse to enemy that nukes can fall in hands of JIHADIS so pak shud be de-nuclarized, gunja shud hv thought that before becoming a hero….Please donot only sit and pray but do wat ever u can in your own capacity to undo this impression.
28 Khan // Aug 4, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Pakistan Ka Matalab Kia
La-ela-ha-el-lal-la
MAY ALLAH BLESS MY PAKISTAN - - AMEEN
29 muhammad-afzal // Aug 5, 2008 at 4:09 pm
pakistani stock market are you emprove why
30 PAKIZBLOOD // Aug 9, 2008 at 4:54 am
I dn`t care!
Pakistan zindabad
I love Pakistan 4 eva!
31 lina // Aug 14, 2008 at 8:55 am
ibrahim munir! i think u are an awesome person! ur words really make a person smile and say “wah! yey hai mera pakistani bhai!” ur words are really convincing and satisfying! after i read this i wish i cud call u here in america and thn ask all the americans to ask me as many questions as they want cuz i am sure u’ll answer thm! many people ask me many question but because i do not like to speak up and begin an argue ment or discussion i always lack behind and one other reason is tht i still need alot of reading to do! but i m surely going to keep on trying and i m going to put all my fears at one side and answer all the silly questions tht i hve been asked!
thnks again! i wish u all the best for ur lyf!
kehtay hai jo dua dil sey nikalti hai wo zaroor kabool hoti hai! Inshallah yey dua bhi kabool ho gi! Allah app ko himat aur taqat dey har museebat mei! Allah hafiz!
32 Adullah // Sep 14, 2008 at 1:43 am
To the friend who thinks or nuclear assets jeopardize our country. Please understand that they are the only reason why we were are here today. Do you recall the statements of the Indian Government after they carried out their nuclear tests?? They were bordering on “We’re going to invade you”. Once we carried them out…. believe me when I say it that Pakistan is the ONLY force standing in the eye of the zionist storms of Greater Israel and Akhund Bharat……. If we weren’t there, or if our bombs weren’t there, both India and Israel would eat up all the little states surrounding them. Because of these bombs not only we but the myriad of little nations surrounding us enjoy freedom. Praise God. Thank Him. And if and when war comes to our door step, do not shy from it.
33 oal // Sep 14, 2008 at 2:59 am
To the world’s knowledge, none of Israel’s neighbors possess nuclear weapons and none have been invaded by Israel for annexation. In fact, Israel produces trade, some more, some less according to either government or social dictates, with appropriate Islamic business counterparts in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey.
Closer to the surface of the remarks ventured, balance in “nuclear assets” improves the survivability of parties involved by discouraging each or all from venturing a first exchange.
34 waqar sial // Sep 19, 2008 at 12:37 am
Blind indians
who told you that pakistan had lost all wars?
you know you indian peoples are stupid. atleast pakistan have good relationship with his border contries but india….. India always fight with her border countries.
so
Pehley apny Gerebaan mein jhanko phir dusron ko taany maro
35 Sam // Oct 13, 2008 at 2:49 am
U.S.A no doubt is the dangerous country on the globe and not Pakistan. The media is kinda exploiting things.
though I am American but i m not proud of my journalists leaving such bogus topics just for the sake of money.
36 Sam // Oct 13, 2008 at 2:53 am
I think the Media should get back to the real roots of reporting, why does everything have to do with blood and war?
I would very much disagree that Pakistan is the most dangerous…..how absurd!!
US has various faces to show. On one side they have declared Pakistan a Non NATO ally in war against terror and on the other side it is being declared as the most dangerous country.
This is a Propaganda War against Pakistan which is dangerous than Atomic War!
I have seen various other indicators in several reliable web sites about prevalence of social and moral crimes in different countries. Pakistan is not prominent in such lists. For example, South Africa is presently the world leader in such crimes. Even our dear Great Briton is very high in the list of armed robberies, where a major robbery is being committed every 3 minutes! It would interest the readers ( not the Newsweek) to know that, according to the “List of countries by homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants”, published by the “National Center for Health Statistics, Vital Statistics”. dated Dec. 2006, Pakistan is listed at the bottom of the list, with only 0.05 homicide cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Following selection from the list of 112 countries can give a very good idea about the defamation attempt of the Newsweek against Pakistan:
Country Score Position
Jamaica = 46.59 1
South Africa = 34.50 3
Thailand = 8.47 22
US = 5.90 38
U.K = 2.03 69
Saudi Arabia = 0.93 97
Pakistan = 0.05 112
Dangerous means a wild ability to harm other and most dangerous means to harm as much as. So who is most dangerous in the world which has past record of using its wild ability. Off course USA
What makes Pakistan the most dangerous country? It is Israel which is nonstop bombing a people who only are allowed to use stones and they get killed every single day. It is Israel which poses as the smallest country of the world but the third strongest when it comes to nuclear weapons. Third only after USA and Russia. And Israel is most dangerous cause it control the world media, money and politics and NEWSWEEK is another Zionists run magazine
37 Omar Haroon // Oct 13, 2008 at 2:55 am
US is continously taking offensive measures against pakistan as it is evident from the dual policy of US to weaken pakistan both internally and externally.on one side US is using our ports and taking logistic support from pakistan and on other side US is continuously weakening our army by compelling us to fight against our own tribal population.so many innocent citizens are being killed in the so called war against terrorism which is not really our war.surely,pakistan is facing trouble in improving the law-in-order situation but this can be solved by negotiation and dialogue with the local tribes,proving them education,medical and all basic necessities of life and finally marginallizing the few terrorists and extremists.without support of local tribes no army even the US army can eliminate terrorists.America also knows the facts but their aims are not to clear pakistan from terrorism,their real aim is to occupy the geografically important land of pakistan and for this purpose US is openly providing militant support and nuclear technology to india.under the supervision of AMERICA india is pressurizing pakistan both at the borders voilating the seize fire and also the Indus water agreement and also by supporting the terrorists.without indian support terrorists can not fight against pak army.
The government of pakistan needs to dialogue with non-voilent tribes to defeat terrorists without damage to innocent and poor citizens.Pakistan also needs to review its foreign policy and to build broad based relations with our sincere friends china,saudi-arabia and rest of muslim world.
38 oal // Oct 13, 2008 at 6:26 am
Fareed Zakaria is the international editor at Newsweek. I don’t think he’s Jewish.
http://fareedzakaria.com/about.html
For violence, check out Somalia.
This URL is three years old:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4173230.stm
And it’s not out of date yet.
American comedian Chris Rock on Iraq: “They lied to me. ‘Iraq - the most dangerous country in the world.’ If it was so dangerous how come they took the entire country in two weeks? — You couldn’t even take Baltimore in two weeks.”
This year’s–2008–U.S. financial contributions to Pakistan include the following:
$57 million - Pakistani Defense Forces (training and equipment funding)
$55 million - Counternarcotics Funds
$255 million - Coalition Support Funds
$75 million - Frontier Corp
$298 million - Pakistani Defense Force Financing
$2 million - Military education
$22 million - International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement
$10 million - Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining, and Related
Total U.S. security-related financing for the defense of Pakistan: $774 million
$30 million - Child survival and health funding
$30 million - Development assistance
$347 million - Economic support
$42 million - Food Aid
$0 million - Human Rights and Democracy Funding (last year, the government claims to have spent $11 million in that category)
$0 Migration and Refugee Assistance (last year, the government claims to have spent $4 million in the category).
Source–U.S. Congressional Research Service:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/pakaid.pdf
China: the Cultural Revolution saw the destruction of mosques, churches, temples, monasteries, and cemetaries by the Red Guards, but since about the 1970’s, China has explored religious pluralism and currently claims to host some 20 million Muslims. On the other side of the coin, China’s efforts to revive its Jewish community have been small — the community is small too — but in earnest. The Sino-Judaic Studies Association in Nanjing annually sponsors courses on Jewish history–
http://www.sino-judaic.org/aboutus.html
39 Sher Jan Afridi // Oct 13, 2008 at 9:10 am
these figures are not true. USA gave only 60 milion in total last year and that was our demand
40 oal // Oct 13, 2008 at 4:44 pm
The U.S. budgets contain many, many unpublicized line items–it is a huge budget. In fact, the public has gotten angry with undiscussed allocations called “earmarks” (programs appended to the budget by the legislator sensitive to local needs and favor but not necessarily in the Federal interest).
The Congressional Research Service serves the legislature and the public without favor. No matter who comes into power, it remains in business.
http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/whatscrs.html
While I am sure the transfers, U.S. Treasury to Pakistan’s, go through, one may wonder how Pakistan uses those funds, what the oversight is, and what public or within-institution information may be available as regards them. Certainly, the popular demonization of America may make discussing any American contribution to Pakistani defense and domestic needs other than politic.
If you have a source for the $60 million funding claim, I’d like to look into the who, what, when, where, how, (and why) of it.
Thank you.
41 leo // Oct 13, 2008 at 10:14 pm
HOW INDIANS CHEATING WORLD BANK
Software major Satyam Computer Services has reportedly been banned from doing any off-shore work with the World Bank after forensic experts and bank investigators discovered that spy software was covertly installed on workstations inside the bank’s Washington headquarters, allegedly by one or more contractors from Satyam Computer Services.
Upon its discovery, bank officials shut off the data link between Washington and Chennai, where Satyam has long operated the bank’s sole offshore computer center responsible for all of the bank’s financial and human resources information.
FOX News report,
42 oal // Oct 14, 2008 at 1:28 am
World Bank Under Cyber Siege in ‘Unprecedented Crisis’:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,435681,00.html
Crooks wave every flag.
“In total, at least six major intrusions — two of them using the same group of IP addresses originating from China — have been detected at the World Bank since the summer of 2007, with the most recent breach occurring just last month.”
The world knows the difference, however, between China and a “group of IP addresses” originating from it. World Bank spokesman’s statement: “. . . Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said that didn’t mean the attackers were in China, only that they were using compromised machines located in that country.” Reference — “Cybercrooks Hit World Bank”:
http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=1426
Back to the U.S. aid to pakistan numbers numbers (from other than the Department of State or the Agency for International Development:
From The Guardian, UK, February 2008: “Up to 70% of US aid to Pakistan ‘misspent’:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/27/pakistan.usa
In that article, journalist Declan Walsh says, “American officials processing the payments at the US embassy in Islamabad have concluded that the Pakistani expense claims have been vastly inflated, two western military officials told the Guardian.”
For a baseline, the article cites as a figure for the defense assistance involved, $5.4 billion, and estimates the pilferage at 30 percent or more of that sum.
Walsh notes, “The Pakistani military forcefully denied the accusations.”
I don’t want to speculate but may caution against jumping to the conclusion that money, if the amounts stated should some day prove true, must have gone into the pockets of individuals. Just as possible may be the direction of those funds toward defense spending apart from Washington’s interest.
Note, in any case, the article cited above published toward the end of the Musharraf era, not in the current and young Zardari administration and General Kayani’s management of the defense forces.
A Google search with this string — “2008 U.S. aid to Pakistan” — produces ample, if critical, material on U.S. defense underwriting of Pakistani defense forces operations.
The U.S. contribution to domestic development, starting with public education, may access this lecture as a signpost: “U.S. Aid to Pakistan: Countering Extremism Through Education Reform” (Lisa Curtis, Heritage Foundation Lecture, May 9, 2007):
http://www.heritage.org/research/asiaandthepacific/hl1029.cfm
“The Basic Education Program benefits over 367,000 Pakistani children and USAID has so far trained over 16,000 Pakistani teachers and administrators,” says Curtis.
Curtis claims the U.S. has provided $200 million annually through “direct cash transfer” for education and development projects since 2004.
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