A welcome return to hope as resilience wins the day

After a spate of terrorist attacks across Pakistan last month that left more than 100 people dead, and also induced a swift rearguard from the country’s security forces, two epoch-making developments have infused a new hope in what is being seen as a symbolic victory against the forces of darkness.
The 10-member Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) summit in Islamabad brought together heads of state and government, including presidents of Turkey and Iran - the first time such a meeting was being held in five years. The milestone assumes significance given the lead-up to the high profile event with a general air of cynicism surrounding the very viability of the showpiece event.
However, save for Afghanistan, which chose not to make a high-level representation amid deteriorating ties with Pakistan, the rest proceeded to breathe a new life into the economic bloc that makes up 16% of the world’s population and is inherent with a rich trade potential.
Recently, Pakistan blitzed a number of terrorist camps on the Afghan side and closed the border when Kabul failed to meet its demand to hand over the most wanted terrorists accused of orchestrating the recent attacks in Pakistan.
Kabul’s decision to under-represent only served to undermine its own interests since the ECO is a regional forum and Islamabad was only playing a host. Attempts to foist bilateral disputes that work against the larger interests of nations is not new. The scuttled Saarc summit in Islamabad last year is a case in point.
Pakistan will therefore, take heart from managing successfully to thwart such a repeat spanner-in-the-works. While much was made of Kabul’s choreographed snub, the fact is that Afghanistan is not the only game in town for potential Pakistani investors. The opening of the Central Asian markets with the evolving China-Pakistan Economic Corridor means Islamabad will have plenty of opportunities and routes to make it good.
After working through a preceding Council of Ministers meeting, the ECO produced the Islamabad Declaration and Vision 2025 that calls for doubling intra-trade in the next five years.
The Declaration calls for development of transport and communication infrastructure, facilitation of trade and investment, promotion of connectivity with other regions, effective use of energy resources and undertaking measures for making the ECO effective and efficient. Vision 2025 underpins co-operation among member states.
Intra-regional trade in the ECO bloc currently stands at 8% of their cumulative external trade. The aim is to increase it to more than 20%.
Even as Islamabad basked in the glory of hosting an array of international leaders, thus steadfastly negating attempts to isolate it, there was only one takeaway from the ECO summit: the only road to salvation lies in engagement, dialogue and co-operation.
Three days after the landmark summit, Pakistan received a massive confidence boost when it also successfully hosted the final of its celebrated international T20 franchise tournament - Pakistan Super League - with a select few international stars on hand against the run of play.
Currently, the talking point of the sporting world’s imagination, the high-octane encounter was a year-in-the-making but its fate almost hit a dead-end when two blasts, including a suicide attack, inside 10 days hit Lahore where it was to be staged.
The art and cultural capital of Pakistan was at the centre of how the script went haywire back in 2009 when a security lapse led to an attack on the touring Sri Lankan cricket team, where but for the presence of mind shown by their Pakistani bus driver, who sped them to safety in a hail of bullets, their goose had been cooked.
As cricket-mad fans - deprived of seeing both their national heroes and international stars at home - convulsed at the misfortune, the government with the backing of the military defied the odds to take the highly risky decision to go ahead with the final premised in the pledge not to let terrorists dictate the state.
The decision followed massive popular sentiment in favour of taking that stand in the face of present and clear danger. Even though most international stars had deserted ship and with just four days to go, a robust plan was put in place with a 5-tier security cover, for, what seems in hindsight, like a do-or-die roll of the dice. One lapse and it could all have gone kaput!
As it turned out, Pakistan won and terrorism lost: for once, it didn’t really sound like a cliché. That message was manifest in the electric atmosphere at the jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium, the headquarters of Pakistan cricket, as fans soaked in every moment of national euphoria. And, then some action!
The undying resolve, resilience and eventually, celebration were visible by miles as evident in the near-blanket coverage of the event what with the boisterous television circuit going bonkers. As Ivy League entertainers rocked the stage before the real McCoys got down to business in shimmering lights, there was much to draw from the studied attempt to restore the Lahore of yore: everyone went home content, but more importantly, safe and secure.
The scorecard? Two events, four days apart, is all it took to make Pakistan one happy, united nation, again. It’s a cinch the chorus for more will grow. Even glow.

* The writer is Community Editor.