Who is Bilhari Kausikan, who made Pakistan face the truth? From nuclear weapons to the image of a ‘peacemaker’, it was heavily tarnished.

Pakistan Crisis: Pakistan is once again in the global discussion regarding its economic and political challenges. Meanwhile, former Singapore Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan (Bilahari Kausikan) Has made very sharp comments on the current situation of Pakistan. He clearly said that India or Afghanistan are not responsible for the problems of Pakistan, rather the root of it lies in the poor governance of the country and interference of the army in politics.

Speaking at a global conference, Kausikan said that Pakistan has for a long time been citing its geographical location and neighboring countries as the reason for its problems, whereas the real reason is its own political and administrative decisions. He said that recently Pakistan’s role in mediation between America and Iran It has definitely got some diplomatic benefits from this, but it will not end the problems of the common people of the country.

What did Kausikan say?

• During the discussion, a Pakistani journalist said that most of the problems of Pakistan are due to its geographical location and neighbors like India and Afghanistan. On this, Bilahari Kausikan disagreed and said that blaming the location for every problem is just an excuse. He said, “You can’t blame your geographical location for everything. It’s just an excuse.”
• The former ambassador held both Pakistan’s political leadership and army responsible for the current situation in the country. He said that Pakistan was misruled from the very beginning and the army continued to play an influential role in politics and administration.
• Kausikan said, “Pakistan has been very poorly run since its inception. I don’t see any easy solution to this. The leaders there are a waste of time, no matter which party they belong to, and the army is also a big part of the problem.”
• Kausikan admitted that by mediating in the US-Iran dispute, Pakistan has tried to improve its image at the diplomatic level and this has sent some positive message in the eyes of America. But he said that this achievement cannot solve the country’s economic problems.
• The former ambassador said, “Pakistan made good use of a diplomatic opportunity and this has improved its international image somewhat, but this will not feed the people of Pakistan.”
• When Kausikan was asked what the situation of Pakistan could be like in the next five years, he said that Pakistan is like a country which is ‘standing on the verge of becoming a failed state.’
• The former ambassador said that recent diplomatic achievements cannot change the core problems of Pakistan. America is also unlikely to completely remove all restrictions or limitations imposed on Pakistan.

Economic crisis still persists

In recent months, Pakistan has earned some positive recognition at the international level by playing a role in the interim peace efforts between the US and Iran. Despite this, the country is facing a serious economic crisis and is still largely dependent on financial assistance from institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. At the same time, in a report of Pakistani newspaper Dawn, the country has been included in the list of countries facing serious food crisis.

who are Bilhari Kausikan?

• Bilhari Kausikan is a highly distinguished and experienced former diplomat of Singapore. He has held many important positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore in his career spanning 37 years.
• He served as Second Permanent Secretary and then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore from 2001 to 2013. After this, he remained posted as ‘Ambassador-at-Large’ in the Ministry of External Affairs till May 2018.
• During his career he also served as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (New York) and Singapore’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation (Russia).
• Since retirement, he has also been active as the Chairman of the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore (NUS).
• He has a deep grasp on international affairs and geopolitics. He is often known for his outspoken and candid comments on China-US relations, the Asia-Pacific region and ASEAN. He is seen discussing global trends in many international forums.