And they have failed to shield foreign trademarks, patents and copyrights from copycats. Pakistan's western border cities are caught in the grip of Islamic fundamentalism and often make outsiders unwelcome. Tribal regions are allowed to operate outside of Islamabad's control and are anything-goes territories with little rule of law. Kashmir is a staging ground for a guerilla war with India. Long stretches of Pakistan's highways are controlled by armed gangs.
Investors are like birds.
When they come, they come in flocks. In our case, they've never come. Meanwhile, domestic investment has largely dried up. Tight credit policies make it difficult to get loans. The government's 1998 decision to freeze foreign currency accounts prompted wealthy Pakistanis to send money out of the country.