The Ban Boon

I don’t know about others but if anything at least I am happy by the “extreme vetting” proscribed for the Pakistanis entering USA.  It is mostly the younger and promising lot who heads for the States either in pursuit of higher education or better employment. Both categories rarely return to the motherland thus causing a huge brain drain at the national level. Imposition of a ban on a country can kindle a desire for self reliance in that field.  Most of the present generation and even some elder ones may not be knowing or remembering that India had stopped export of coal to Pakistan in 1948 to disrupt our railways whose all locomotives were coal fired driven. Pakistan railways was left with no option but first to switch to furnace oil and then to diesel engines. Thus the Indian ban on coal proved to be a blessing in disguise which helped modernize our railways much to the anguish and envy of India.  Similarly, I think this ban or embargo wou! ld force us in acquiring self-reliance in the fields of higher education and installing modern and high tech industries to offer better job opportunities to our talented and industrious youth, who would love to serve their own country rather than the Americans and others.

Thank you Mr. Trump for the favour.

Col.Riaz Jafri (Retd)