Dear Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw attention to Pakistan’s weak regional trade ties, as highlighted in your editorial “Time to integrate” (July 23). As a concerned student, I believe this issue deserves wider public attention.
The editorial pointed out that Pakistan remains one of the least regionally integrated economies in Asia, with the bulk of its regional trade tied to a single country. Such dependence leaves our economy exposed to any disruption in that one relationship. Meanwhile, other developing nations have grown steadily by trading widely across their regions instead of narrowly. Poor infrastructure, weak customs facilitation, and strained political ties with neighbouring states have kept Pakistan from tapping into nearby markets that could otherwise support local industry and create jobs for young people like myself.
I urge the government to prioritize regional trade diversification through better transport links, simplified trade procedures, and renewed diplomatic effort. I hope you will publish this letter to bring wider attention to this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
Muhammad Nawaz
Concerned Student
Sukkur