REFERENCE Hasan Jafri`s article,`Make things people will buy` (Feb 22). The writer has analysed various sectors of our economy and offered some valuable suggestions. He says that Pakistan, instead of becoming an exporting country, has remained a `parchoon ki dukaan`, i.e. a small corner shop, for half a century where customers could buy various items like rice, underwear, bed-sheets and maybe a football.

This is why Pakistan`s entire annual exports have not been able to take off. Its total exports are about half of the annual revenue of a Chinese telecom company. Even acountrylike BangladeshhasleftPakistan behind in exports. Isn`t it a matter of shame that Pakistan`s share of $19trn worth of global merchandise exports is just 0.13pc? Further, our manufacturing capability should be export-oriented and link Pakistan tonotjustthe Chinese but alsothe China-linked global supply chains. If we don`t do it, then CPEC would be another missed opportunity for Pakistan, and it would turn our country into just a highly barricaded truck stand! To augment our exports, we should give adequate incentives to our exporters. For many years (now withdrawn) India gave 100 pc exemption on income tax to its 100pc export-oriented units. We should stop the mport of simple items from abroad. We should make them at home and, side by side, focus on the manufacture of high-tech and high-value items whose export would generate sizable revenue for the country.

The problem with us is that though we work hard, this hard work is in the wrong direction. For example, some time bacl< Pakistan exported 10,000 tons of high quality mangoes to the UK but the entire consignment was sent back as the mangoes didn`t comply with the requirements of international food standards. These standards setoutbasicrulesforfruitsafety.

Why was such a consignment allowed to leave the shores of Karachi if the consignment hadn`t been cleared for compliance with quality requirements? Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A. Khan Rawalpindi