ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 8 (UPI) -- The United States has said Pakistan is not a failed state, describing its economic performance as very positive and strong.
U.S. Undersecretary for International Trade Franklin L. Lavin, currently visiting Islamabad, was responding to a report by U.S.-based Foreign Policy journal and think tank Fund for Peace that listed Pakistan as one of the world's top 10 failed states.
An angry Pakistani government described the report as "rubbish and shoddy," and called it a piece of political propaganda masquerading as research.
In the article and accompanying study, Pakistan dropped from 34th on a list of failed states in 2005 to ninth this year.
"In my view, Pakistan is the opposite of a failed state; its economy is brilliant and performing strongly," Lavin said, admitting he had not read the article, and added such a view reflected neither the U.S. government's policy nor the concerns of businessmen.
While Pakistan was enjoying an economic boom, Lavin said, it was also faced with some challenges.
"But with a strong leadership and policies in place along, with a national consensus on these policies, Pakistan can effectively tackle the problems," Lavin said.
The trade official said he appreciated Pakistan's economic performance, including higher growth and improvement in the macro-economic indices. On the micro level, Lavin said, his discussions with Pakistan were on issues ranging from relief for the people affected by the October 2005 earthquake, intellectual property rights, a bilateral investment treaty, the World Trade Organization Doha round and the South Asian economic situation.
