Pakistan Germany: Partners of peace and Development I

Pakistan and Germany have very close and friendly relations and there has been remarkable positive developments in these ties in recent years and let us pledge to further cement, enhance and strengthen these ties. Pakistan and Germany both have many commonalities in history as Pakistan got independence in 1947 while Germany in 1949. Pakistan’s great scholar, thinker, researcher, poet of the east and great leader ALLAMA MUHAMMAD IQBAL received his Ph.D. in 1907 from Munich University Germany. Today a road along the river Neckar in Heidelberg is named after Dr.Iqbal and at the Heidelberg South Asia Institute there is an Iqbal chair which contributes to research on Iqbal’s work. Iqbal was great admirer of Germany and its famous writer Goethe. The great Scholar of Germany, Dr. Anne Marrie Schimmel, who liked Pakistan at such an extent that she called it her second homeland and she frequently visited Pakistan and her services to bring the scholars of both the countries closer are remarkable and are highly admirable. She had done valuable research on Pakistani culture especially on its spiritual and literary heritage which is now the part of history. Pakistani literary circle, writers and intellectuals are well aware of this great lady and she was extremely admired by them. It will be very interesting to note that Pakistani philosophers, thinkers and intellectuals have deep rooted links in Germany especially with their scholars. One of our great Scholar Ex Vice Chancellor of Sindh University Allama I. I Qazi’s wife Mrs. Elsa Qazi was also German. She admired Sindh very much and wrote a book with the help of her husband, “Brown Girl in Search of God”. She lived and died in Pakistan and buried at Sindh University’s grave yard. She selected verses of Shah Latif a famous Sindhi poet and translated these verses from Sindhi to English. Her poem” The Neem Tree” is still included in Pakistani school syllabus. Goethe Institute in Karachi, Anne Marrie Schimmel Institute Hyderabad, and Anne Marrie House Lahore are busy to connect Pakistan and German Scholars with one another. German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) which opened its office in Islamabad is another positive addition in this regard. Germany and Pakistan also share common challenges. Both are partners of peace and development. Both countries heavily rely on oil import, foreign investment and export. Germany made huge investment in natural and human resources and Pakistan would like to follow its example. Many Germans with the reference of Dr. Anne Marrie Schimmel, Allama Iqbal, and Mrs. Elsa Qazi are well aware about the nature and culture of Pakistani people and they admire Pakistani cultures lively vivacious and hospitable characteristics. They very well know that Pakistanis by nature are friendly and amicable people and misperception about them spread by western and Indian media is incorrect. We have a lot of positive things to show the world which is hidden from the eyes of people in western countries due to huge propaganda drum beat against Pakistan.

Cultural Relations

A large number of Pakistanis receive support from Germany in terms of scholarship to continue their higher studies. Germany is the third most popular country for Pakistani students wishing to pursue a Ph.D. after USA and UK. Engineering and natural science programmes are most in demand among Pakistanis studying in Germany. Pakistanis wish to set up several Universities with the help of Germany and we hope German government and private sector will come forward to invest in this sector.
Germany Language instruction is gradually being introduced at several secondary schools in Pakistan. This is the Part of PASCH schools’ scheme and under the initiative to attend International Summer Camp in Germany organized by the Goethe Institute. Gandhara exhibition was held in Bonn on 20th November, 2008 to highlight Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage.

Economic and development Relations

Pakistan and Germany have signed first bilateral investment treaty in 1959. This was the first agreement in the world that provided adequate mechanism of reciprocal protection of investment. The signing of new bilateral investment treaty by the two countries during Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s visit to Germany on 1st December 2009 was a historic step. This investment agreement paved the way to boost economic cooperation and created favorable conditions for investment between the two countries. Pakistan offers for German businessmen and investors to invest in Pakistan and to enhance trade volume. German companies should come forward to benefit from the opportunities available in Pakistan for investment, notably in oil, and gas, energy, agriculture, textile and industrial units.

Within EU Germany has become Pakistan’s biggest trading partner. Germany ranked as 9th largest trading partner even ahead UK.