essay on social problem of pakistan

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18 Major Social Problems of Pakistan and Their Solutions

Nobody we know wishes to become a substance abuser or a poor person. Most of us want to be cool, lucky, rich, and successful. Some of us are, luckily, but many of us are not. A part of our success and failure is associated with what we are given biologically in terms of intelligence and good health . The other part of it is related to the social problems of Pakistan.

From the moment Pakistan came into being, we have faced many issues in the shape of poverty, unemployment, crime, low status of women, child marriage, rape, and gender inequality. These are the social problems of Pakistan that, if solved, can make life more comfortable and society more productive in some manner.

A social problem is an issue that prevents society from functioning at an optimal level. Understanding that not all events in society can be considered social problems is essential. A problem is considered a social problem when:

The public recognizes the situation as a problem.
The situation is against all those values which are accepted by society.
A large number of the population recognizes the issue as a valid concern.
The problem can be alleviated through joint action of community resources or citizens.

Table of Content

Health Sector

Health care availability is one of the major social problems of Pakistan. According to the World Health Organization , Pakistan is ranked 122 out of 190 countries regarding healthcare. And if we look at infant mortality, Pakistan stands third-highest ranked country in the world.

Even after decades of Pakistan’s existence, there is no equal distribution of resources and wealth. Many of us still suffer from emotional and physical issues, but no proper healthcare system exists. The stigma surrounding mental illness persists. There are still many children suffering from malnutrition because of widespread poverty. Many patients with an emergency condition only visit a physician when they get a violent and nervous breakdown.

Due to a large number of infectious and vaccine-preventable diseases in Pakistan, it is clear that the healthcare system of Pakistan is still struggling. Thousands of new instances of COVID-19 arrive every day, putting Pakistan’s healthcare system under tremendous strain.

Illiteracy

According to a survey, Pakistan has a 60 percent literacy rate which means that 40% of the population is illiterate. People in rural regions are uneducated because they are focused on earning a living rather than attending school. Therefore, advancement in our country is relatively slow. Because of illiteracy, crime rates are high in our culture.

Crime As A Social Problem

There is a very deep connection between crime and illiteracy. In countries with fewer literacy rates, the crime rate is at a peak, and in the countries with good literacy rates, the crime rate is lower. Education makes a person civilized, and also aware of their right or wrong. But due to illiteracy, unemployment increased, which forced the people to get money from unfair means. The increasing crime rate is one of those social problems of Pakistan which are associated with unemployment, inflation, and poverty that are directly or indirectly linked to illiteracy.

Poor Law Enforcement

In Pakistan, the situation of law enforcement agencies is miserable. Like if we talk about the police, they lack professionalism. They don’t have proper training on managing a case or even how to investigate it properly. In the police department, the bribe is common. Most of the issues are pending even not reported by our police department. There are several events in which our law and enforcement agencies are failed to control the situation or protests.

Social Problems Of Women In Pakistan

Some of the leading causes of social problems of women in Pakistan are:

Gender Discrimination

Gender inequality in Pakistan, and its influence on malnutrition, begins at the time of childbirth. Despite significant shifts in beliefs, a girl’s birth is still not celebrated today. There is a difference in attention paid to women and men. Several taboos prevent females from routinely eating nutrient-dense foods like meat and eggs when it comes to girls’ diets. This is associated with the girls reaching puberty early, and many parents believe that it would be harder to protect their daughters from sexual harassment and males after puberty.

The main social problem of Pakistan is that girls are typically seen as somebody’s possession, whereas males are seen as an asset to their parents’ well-being as they mature. As a result, boys are well-fed, well-educated, and given high priority. A woman is usually the last one to eat in most homes, and she may not even get enough food to fill her stomach in some cases, especially in poorer households.

It is undisputed that men enjoy unfair advantages over women in certain circumstances. Many private and government institutions have unofficial policies regarding hiring women since it is widely believed that they will either get married and quit or take maternity leave days. As a result of this discrimination, women are deprived of many opportunities that place them at the bottom.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is one of the current social problems in Pakistan. A working woman is often considered to be “public property” and exploited. In Pakistan, unhealthful and unsafe environments are widespread, encouraging men to view fragile women as an easy target.

Read the diary of a rape survivor here.

Finding a work-life balance.

Being from Pakistan and having a desi background means that the first thing your family expects of you is that you take care of household chores and the responsibilities your elders have entrusted to you. If you want to be an independent working woman, you will find yourself living a double life of a cook at home and a professional worker in the office.

Education And Marriage

So many parents ask why their daughter wants a higher degree when she is at the perfect age for marriage. Marriage is the only and ultimate destination for any Pakistani lady. Be it death threats from her brother or physical abuse from her parents, the majority of Pakistani girls are likely to be compelled to give up their dreams of getting an education overseas or in their nation in favor of marrying older men.

Husband’s Insecurities

It’s likely that if you’ve been lucky enough to continue work after you get married, you’ll have to deal with your husband’s ego and obscure anxieties regularly. As a general rule, men in Pakistan think that they should be the sole breadwinners in their families. When you deal with male coworkers, they may perceive your successes as a threat.

Log Kya Kahain Gai?

Compared to any other reason or claim, this one has damaged the lives of most women more than any other. Whether you work or stay at home, there is always the fear of ‘log kya kahain gai’ and how people see you via their judgments. Assuming you neglect your home, family, and children, they will probably give you dirty or insulting labels for working or doing anything for yourself.

Rape And Honor Killing

Rape and honor killing is one of those social issues in Pakistan that many people choose to ignore. Rape culture is wrong, yet in Pakistan, it is justified. It is explained with an excuse that Islam encourages modesty and assigns males the responsibility of safeguarding weaker women. In addition, the most harmful of all excuses, established norms, is used to justify it. And the tribal jirgas, which are the backbone of Pakistan’s rural power structure, function as the opposite of state law, making unsympathetic judgments about women and favoring these terrible acts.

Social Problems In Family

In Pakistani families, some of the common social problem examples are:

Child Marriage As A Social Problem

Child marriage is one of the social problems in Pakistan. As soon as a woman marries, she becomes an adult and is held to a higher standard of maturity and responsibility. It seems unfair to make her accountable for someone else’s care while she is at the most vulnerable stage of her life. Sexual activity puts a burden on these young brides since they are unprepared physically and emotionally. Early marriage can have a negative impact on the personal and social development of a girl. Besides this, it affects a child’s mental and emotional health as well.

On the other hand, male children who are married at a young age are also under financial stress, interfering with their education and training. While both boys and girls are married off at a young age, the number of girls who fall prey to this practice is significantly higher. According to research, twenty-one percent of Pakistani females marry before the age of 18, while 3 percent marry before 15. The number of child brides in Pakistan is the sixth highest in the world.

Traditional Dowry

None of the parents want to give their daughter anything, but when the bride’s parents start expecting dowry at the time of marriage, this “something” takes on a whole new dimension. You may be asked to provide expensive jewelry, a large sum of money, or even an expensive automobile. It doesn’t matter to the wealthy, but those who can’t afford it have to deal with many issues. As a result of poverty, some females remain unmarried, while others go to extreme means such as suicide out of frustration. There are more dowry deaths in Pakistan than anywhere else in the world.

Caste System

There are an estimated 260 million individuals in the globe who are affected by caste prejudice, with the great majority of them living in South Asia. These rights are being violated in large numbers daily. People are divided into unequal and hierarchical social groupings based on caste which is one of the prevalent social problems of Pakistan.

Social Problems Of Youth In Pakistan

Pakistan’s youth is also a victim of many problems. Social problems of teens in Pakistan include:

Unemployment

Unemployment is one of the current social problems of Pakistan, especially for the youth. When they have finished their schooling, they cannot find a position where they may put their abilities to serve their nation. The inability of the government to properly employ youth is the cause of this. Deteriorating economic conditions also cause reduced investment and fewer job possibilities. In addition to being a multi-faceted and complex issue, unemployment may lead to many other types of social problems, such as young engagement in radical politics, bank and home burglaries, social insecurity, and drug usage.

Child Labor

Pakistan has a long history of being known as one of the worst ones for child labor which is considered a violation of human rights by the United Nations. A poor child is regarded as an earning hand of the families in Pakistan which deprive the child of primary education. Since the future and success of every country rely on a well-educated and well-informed young, child labor is a significant social issue in Pakistan.

Drug Addiction

Some young people who find themselves in a bad position have no other option than to turn to drugs for relief. The usage of drugs by our kids is on the rise. They believe that is the cheapest way to alleviate their suffering. Nevertheless, they are unaware that this practice is wasting their valuable skills and bringing them to the edge of death.

Depression and Suicide

Our young, the saddest of all, are committing suicide as a result of their disappointment. They waste their lives because they don’t realize what their worth is. Major causes of this social problem include drug use, poverty, unemployment, and failure in life.

Learn how to control social anxiety here.

Ways to prevent social problems.

The social problems of Pakistan can be solved by:

Eradicating poverty through education, skill development, and job opportunities in society.
Maintaining law and order situation in the country.
Various awareness programs such as street drama, procession, and advertisements of tobacco and alcohol on media should be banned to solve the social problems.

Social problems are as old as human history. If you too are victimized, do not wait for more. Consult a Psychologist as soon as possible. Depending upon your condition, your therapist might refer you to a Psychiatrist, take your mental health seriously and get yourself treated at the earliest via Marham.pk.

1- Why is teenage pregnancy a social problem?

Teenage pregnancy is among the social problems of Pakistan because besides posing a health risk to the mother and baby, it continues the poverty cycle, including early school dropout by pregnant teenagers.

2- How can a school help abolish social problems?

As today’s students are tomorrow’s society, teaching starts from school makes a moral society.

3 – Is mental health a social problem?

Well, mental health itself is not a major social problem. It results from many of the social issues that individuals have to face.

4- Why is it important to study social problems?

To change society for the better, it is essential to study social problems.

Book an appointment now, to answer all your queries. You can book an appointment with the top Psychiatrist in Pakistan through Marham by calling at Marham helpline: 0311-1222398 or by online booking facility through the website or Marham mobile app.

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A Biotechnologist graduated from Lahore College for Women University. A passionate and dedicated writer who believes that words can bring in revolution.

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Essay On Problems Of Pakistan (200 & 500 Words)

Essay on problems of pakistan (200 words).

Pakistan, a developing South Asian country, faces numerous challenges on its journey toward progress and prosperity. The most pressing problems are terrorism, economic instability, the energy crisis, and poor education and healthcare systems.

Terrorism remains a significant threat in Pakistan, with extremist factions destabilizing the peace and security of the country. The government must strengthen its counter-terrorism strategies while addressing the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, illiteracy, and political instability.

Economic instability is another critical issue impacting millions of Pakistanis’ lives. High inflation, unemployment, and widespread corruption hinder the country’s growth. The government should prioritize investing in infrastructure and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to improve economic stability. Additionally, anti-corruption measures must be enforced to ensure transparency and accountability in public affairs.

The energy crisis in Pakistan disrupts daily life and hampers industrial development. To tackle this problem, the government should invest in sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power, which can help to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and alleviate the energy shortage.

Lastly, Pakistan’s poor education and healthcare systems are significant barriers to social development. Improving access to quality education is essential to empower future generations and reduce poverty. Meanwhile, investment in healthcare infrastructure and capacity building will improve the population’s overall well-being.

In conclusion, addressing these pressing problems is crucial for Pakistan to progress toward a brighter future. Through effective counter-terrorism strategies, economic stabilization, investments in sustainable energy sources, and improving education and healthcare systems, Pakistan can overcome these challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Essay On Problems Of Pakistan (500 words)

Title: The Multifaceted Problems of Pakistan

Pakistan, a nation with a rich cultural heritage and diverse traditions, has faced various challenges since its inception in 1947. This essay aims to shed light on the fundamental problems that have hindered the growth and progress of the country. These issues include political instability, terrorism, and economic, social, and environmental concerns. It is vital to address these problems to pave the way for Pakistan’s prosperous and stable future.

Political Instability: The foremost issue that plagues Pakistan is political instability, which has persisted throughout its history. Frequent military interventions, weak democratic institutions, and rampant corruption have all contributed to the precarious political landscape. This lack of stability has directly impacted the country’s economic and social development. To foster progress, Pakistan must strengthen its democratic institutions and foster a culture of transparency and accountability.

Terrorism: Pakistan has been grappling with the menace of terrorism for decades, which has claimed thousands of innocent lives and severely affected the nation’s social fabric. The country’s strategic position, along with its porous borders, has made it vulnerable to infiltration by extremist groups. To counter this threat, Pakistan must continue strengthening its counter-terrorism measures, promote interfaith harmony, and address the root causes of extremism, such as poverty and illiteracy.

Economic Woes: Pakistan’s economy is plagued by many issues, including low GDP growth, high inflation, and a ballooning fiscal deficit. Many people live below the poverty line, and unemployment remains a pressing concern. To address these economic challenges, Pakistan must focus on boosting its industrial sector, investing in human capital, and pursuing economic reforms to encourage foreign investment.

Social Issues: The nation also grapples with various social issues hamper its progress. Illiteracy, gender inequality, and lack of access to basic healthcare are among the most pressing concerns. To tackle these issues, the government must prioritize education, particularly for girls, and invest in healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, efforts should be made to raise awareness about the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Environmental Concerns: Pakistan is increasingly vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation. Deforestation, water scarcity, and air pollution are just a few environmental challenges the country faces. To combat these issues, Pakistan must develop and implement sustainable environmental policies, promote afforestation, and invest in renewable energy sources.

In conclusion, the problems of Pakistan are multifaceted, ranging from political instability and terrorism to economic woes and social issues. While these challenges may seem impossible, the nation must unite and work towards a better future. By strengthening democratic institutions, combating terrorism, pursuing economic reforms, addressing social concerns, and investing in environmental sustainability, Pakistan can overcome these hurdles and chart a path toward prosperity and stability.

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United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Publications

The Current Situation in Pakistan

A USIP Fact Sheet

Monday, January 23, 2023

Publication Type: Fact Sheet

Pakistan continues to face multiple sources of internal and external conflict. Extremism and intolerance of diversity and dissent have grown, fuelled by a narrow vision of Pakistan’s national identity, and are threatening the country’s prospects for social cohesion and stability.

The inability of state institutions to reliably provide peaceful ways to resolve grievances has encouraged groups to seek violence as an alternative. The country saw peaceful political transitions after the 2013 and 2018 elections. However, as the country prepares for anticipated elections in 2023, it continues to face a fragile economy along with deepening domestic polarization. Meanwhile, devastating flooding across Pakistan in 2022 has caused billions in damage, strained the country’s agriculture and health sectors, and also laid bare Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate disasters and troubling weaknesses in governance and economic stability.

Regionally, Pakistan faces a resurgence of extremist groups along its border with Afghanistan, which has raised tensions with Taliban-led Afghanistan. Despite a declared ceasefire on the Line of Control in Kashmir in 2021, relations with India remain stagnant and vulnerable to crises that pose a threat to regional and international security. The presence and influence of China, as a great power and close ally of Pakistan, has both the potential to ameliorate and exacerbate various internal and external conflicts in the region.

USIP’S Work

The U.S. Institute of Peace has conducted research and analysis and promoted dialogue in Pakistan since the 1990s, with a presence in the country since 2013. The Institute works to help reverse Pakistan’s growing intolerance of diversity and to increase social cohesion. USIP supports local organizations that develop innovative ways to build peace and promote narratives of inclusion using media, arts, technology, dialogues and education.

USIP works with state institutions in their efforts to be more responsive to citizens’ needs, which can reduce the use of violence to resolve grievances. The Institute supports work to improve police-community relations, promote greater access to justice and strengthen inclusive democratic institutions and governance. USIP also conducts and supports research in Pakistan to better understand drivers of peace and conflict and informs international policies and programs that promote peace and tolerance within Pakistan, between Pakistan and its neighbors, and between Pakistan and the United States.

USIP’s Work in Pakistan Includes:

Improving police-community relations for effective law enforcement

The Pakistani police have struggled with a poor relationship with the public, characterized by mistrust and mistreatment, which has hindered effective policing. USIP has partnered with national and provincial police departments to aid in building police-community relationships and strengthening policing in Pakistan through training, capacity building and social media engagement.

Building sustainable mechanisms for dialogue, critical thinking and peace education.

Nearly two-thirds of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30. Youth with access to higher education carry disproportionate influence in society. However, Pakistan’s siloed education system does not allow interactions across diverse groups or campuses, leading to intolerance, and in some cases, radicalization. To tackle growing intolerance of diversity on university campuses, USIP has partnered with civil society and state institutions to support programs that establish sustainable mechanisms for dialogue, critical thinking and peace education.

Helping Pakistanis rebuild traditions of tolerance to counter extremists’ demands for violence

USIP supports local cultural leaders, civil society organizations, artists and others in reviving local traditions and discourses that encourage acceptance of diversity, promote dialogue and address social change. USIP also supports media production — including theater, documentaries and collections of short stories — which offer counter narratives to extremism and religious fundamentalism.

Support for acceptance and inclusion of religious minorities

Relations between religious communities in Pakistan have deteriorated, with some instances of intercommunal violence or other forms of exclusion. USIP supports the efforts of local peacebuilders, including religious scholars and leaders, to promote interfaith harmony, peaceful coexistence and equitable inclusion of minorities (gender, ethnic and religious) in all spheres of public life.

Supporting inclusive and democratic institutions

To help democratic institutions be more responsive to citizens, USIP supports technical assistance to state institutions and efforts to empower local governments, along with helping relevant civil society actors advocate for greater inclusion of marginalized groups. Gender has been a major theme of this effort and across USIP’s programming in Pakistan. These programs empower women in peacebuilding and democratic processes through research, advocacy and capacity building.

In a September 2022 visit to Washington DC, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speaks to an audience of U.S. officials and policy experts. In his speech, Bhutto Zardari discussed the 2022 flooding that displaced 33 million in Pakistan and resulted in one-third of the country being underwater. The foreign minister called for a global response to the flooding that could build a system that would support the developing countries most vulnerable to climate disasters.

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Last week, Pakistan hosted leaders from China, Russia, India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran and Belarus for the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. While the lead-up to the summit highlighted the constraints that Pakistan’s internal troubles place on its ability to play an active role in global diplomacy, Islamabad was able to sidestep any serious diplomatic faux pas. India’s attendance may have left a door cracked to dialogue between Pakistan and its neighboring rival.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $7 billion loan for Pakistan aimed at helping the South Asian nation stabilize its economy. After assuming power earlier this year, Pakistan’s new coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had approached the IMF for the 25th time for a loan. On September 12, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country had met all the conditions set by the IMF to qualify for a new loan. And on September 25, the IMF signed a formal approval of the loan.

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Despite a three-year long cease-fire along their contested border, trade and civil society engagement between India and Pakistan has dwindled, exacerbating the fragility of their relationship. With recently re-elected governments now in place in both countries, there is a window of opportunity to rekindle trade to bolster their fragile peace, support economic stability in Pakistan, create large markets and high-quality jobs on both sides, and open doors for diplomatic engagement that could eventually lead to progress on more contentious issues.

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How Have India’s Neighbors Reacted to Its Election?

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What is happening in Pakistan’s continuing crisis?

Subscribe to the center for middle east policy newsletter, madiha afzal madiha afzal fellow - foreign policy , center for middle east policy , strobe talbott center for security, strategy, and technology , center for asia policy studies.

May 20, 2022

Even by the standards of Pakistan’s perpetually unstable politics, the last ten weeks in the country have been exceptionally turbulent. Pakistan has a new government as of April 11 after Imran Khan was forced out via a vote of no confidence. The weeks leading up to the vote, from the filing of the motion on March 8 to the vote on April 10, were dramatic and full of intrigue. Now, the country is in economic and political crisis. Shahbaz Sharif’s new government has been in a state of decision paralysis and is struggling to find its footing, while the ousted prime minister is leading rallies across the country attacking the government’s legitimacy and calling for fresh elections. At the same time, Pakistan is also in the grip of an acute climate emergency. It’s not only political temperatures that are spiking: an unprecedented heat wave has enveloped Pakistan for weeks.

The fall of Khan’s government

Crucial to the current crisis is understanding how Khan’s government fell. While Khan was Pakistan’s first prime minister to be ousted via a no-confidence vote, he joined each of his predecessors as prime minister in not lasting five years — the length of parliament’s electoral term — in office. Pakistan’s major opposition parties had been clamoring for Khan’s exit since he came into office — calling him “selected” by the military as opposed to “elected” — and had formed an alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), in the fall of 2020 for that purpose. This spring, the opposition gained traction. On the surface, the opposition blamed governance and economic failures under Khan. But the underlying reason their maneuvers were successful was that Khan had lost the support of Pakistan’s military, which helped him rise to power.

Several factors were responsible for the fracture between Khan and the military, who previously had functioned on a much-touted “same page.” The biggest was an impasse over the transfer of the director general of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in October 2021. Khan refused to sign off on the director general’s transfer, already approved by the military, for weeks. The then-ISI chief was a Khan loyalist, and speculation was that Khan wanted him to be around for the next election (or perhaps even to appoint him the next army chief).

Once Khan lost the military’s support — though the military said it had become neutral — space was allowed to the opposition to make their moves. Two small parties allied with Khan in the ruling coalition switched to the opposition, enough to deprive him of his razor-thin majority in the National Assembly.

Khan hatched a conspiracy theory to blame for his government’s collapse — alleging , without evidence, U.S. “regime change” for following an “independent foreign policy,” and claiming “local abettors” were responsible — claims that Pakistan’s National Security Committee has rebuffed . But Khan and his allies have also alluded to the military being responsible for his exit — sometimes in veiled language and sometimes pointing fingers more directly at the “neutrals,” as they now refer to the military. In so doing, they are testing the limits of political confrontation with the military, receding only when it pushes back on their claims.

An intense polarization

Khan has used his ejection to galvanize his supporters. Day after day, in huge rallies across the country, he calls the new government an “imported government” and the new prime minister a “crime minister.” Khan has used his rallies and interviews to command media attention, and argues that his government’s fall returned to power the corrupt politicians that are responsible for Pakistan’s problems. His supporters, many of them middle class, young, and urban, and furious at what they see as Khan’s unceremonious, orchestrated ousting, repeat his words on social media. With this narrative of grievance, Khan aims to undermine the new government’s legitimacy; his party resigned from parliament and he is calling for fresh elections. He now plans to lead a “freedom march” to Islamabad, likely later this month , to further pressure the government for elections.

By contrast, supporters of the parties that constitute the government see Khan’s exit as having occurred democratically and see his politics as dangerous. Pakistan today has echoes of the post-January 6 moment in the United States, a polarization so deep that each faction sees no validity in the other’s arguments. Khan’s supporters in particular distrust anything the new government or the military says. In recent weeks, politicians from each side have also resorted to using religion to attack the other side, dangerous in a country where the weaponization of religion can spell a death sentence.

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The new government

The new government, led by the PML-N’s Shahbaz Sharif, faces formidable challenges — and not just from Khan. Shahbaz’s brother, three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was deposed in 2017 on corruption charges and now lives in London, still exercises outsized control over the party, and indeed the government. Shahbaz, a three-time former chief minister of Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab, has throughout his political career played second fiddle to the more charismatic Nawaz. Last week, the prime minister and key members of his cabinet made a sudden trip to London to consult with Nawaz on the direction of the new government. While they were overseas, Pakistan’s economy continued its downward spiral. The rupee continued its precipitous slide relative to the dollar; the stock market also lost value.

The government faces a key decision on whether to continue costly, unsustainable fuel subsidies that Khan’s government installed, and that the International Monetary Fund wants removed as a precondition for renewing Pakistan’s loan program. Removing subsidies would certainly be unpopular, which worries a government with limited time in office before the next election. So far the government has stalled, announcing earlier this week, against its own finance minister’s advice, that it would maintain subsidies (for now).

Shahbaz’s overall hesitancy likely reflects deference to Nawaz and his team, who may have different views, and the fact that he commands an unwieldy coalition of rival parties, who will be competing against each other in the next election. But part of the indecision has to do with the fact that the main goal of the PDM was to oust Khan; they did not actually devise an alternate governance plan or economic strategy before coming into power. That lack of a plan is now showing in the face of Pakistan’s economic crisis.

The next election

A major question contributing to the political uncertainty in Pakistan is the timing of the next election, which must be held by the summer of 2023. Khan has made clear that he wants to ride his present momentum to immediate elections. In the days preceding his downfall, he aimed to deprive the then-opposition of a runway in government by extra-constitutionally dissolving parliament, a decision Pakistan’s Supreme Court (correctly) reversed. The new government, for its part, can use its time in power to turn things in its favor, including resolving outstanding corruption cases.

There is the question of whether Nawaz can or will return to Pakistan before the next election. If he does, that could boost the PML-N’s base, but if he does not face prosecution on his return, that will bolster Khan’s argument that the Sharifs have politically manipulated the corruption cases against them. The PML-N also faces considerable hurdles, including an economic crisis that is partially shaped by exogenous factors, a tussle over power in Punjab, and a president who belongs to and is loyal to Khan’s party. The coalition government this week has said it will not go to early elections; former president Asif Ali Zardari has insisted that elections not be held before parliament can undertake electoral reform.

Whenever the next election is held, it’s far from clear what the outcome will be. What matters in Pakistan’s parliamentary system is which party can get the most “electables” — powerful politicians in local constituencies — on their side. Large urban rallies may attest to Khan’s personal popularity, but will not necessarily define how his party does in parliamentary elections. The other factor, one that has historically determined which party electable politicians align themselves with, is where the powerful military’s support is leaning.

The bottom line

That brings us to the bottom line. The fundamentals of the system in Pakistan, beneath the intense ongoing political tug of war, remain the same. What matters for political success is whether you have the support of Pakistan’s military. Political parties now directly point to the military’s interference in politics, but only when they are in opposition; when they are in government and enjoy that support, they do little to challenge it. This was true of Khan’s party when it was in power, and it is true of Sharif’s government now.

In the end, what Pakistan’s soaring political tension amounts to is an opportunistic struggle for power. It has left the country a political tinderbox. And in all of it, little regard is displayed on either side for the ongoing suffering of ordinary Pakistanis, who continue to pay the price for the country’s long history of political instability.

Poverty and Its Alleviation: The Case of Pakistan

Submitted: 20 October 2016 Reviewed: 03 April 2017 Published: 04 October 2017

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.68960

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Poverty, Inequality and Policy

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This chapter aims to look at the current status of poverty and existing social policies in Pakistan. Poverty is one of the concerns for the governments of almost all countries including Pakistan. There is a continuous research on the policy measurements by national and international organizations in Pakistan, which demonstrated the decline in poverty. The government has launched many social policies in the past three decades to help the nation in reducing the poverty. Apart from government, many national and international organizations have also contributed a lot in the effort of reducing the poverty. However, there is very little research available on the effectiveness of these social policies, and on the need of social policy areas in particular. Disparity among the urban and rural population is another important factor, which has been discussed in almost every research on poverty. Still, very few social policies in Pakistan are focusing on rural population. Therefore, the issue of social policy needs fresh exploration in the country, which is necessary to make new social policies that can benefit all citizens.

poverty alleviation
economic development
gender inequality
inclusive social policy
poverty trap

Author Information

Muhammad azeem ashraf *.

Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, China

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

It is a concern of every government to respond to the necessities of equality legislation. Approaches, obstacles, and practices of judgment are some simple values that respond universally, rather than individually. Cultural and systemic change at policy and practice levels is very important to develop an inclusive culture [ 1 ]. Accordingly, developing a social policy does not provide the desired outcomes until it has been offered with the best environment and ground support, for these policies to be implemented. The notion of poverty is not new in Pakistan as many studies have been conducted at both national (Government of Pakistan; Pakistan Institute of Development Economics) and international institutions (World Bank; United Nations). Most of these studies used household surveys based on consumption model to calculate the severity of poverty at national and provincial levels.

In contexts of Pakistan, poverty has always been higher in rural than urban areas. Pakistan has shown a decline in the poverty during 1970s and 1980s, but the trend reversed in the 1990s. Poverty rose more sharply in the rural areas in the 1990s, and the incidence of rural poverty was significantly higher than urban poverty [ 2 ]. Inequality in both urban and rural areas also increased in Pakistan during the 1990s, which enhanced the negative impact on poverty. Although agriculture is the main activity in rural society, a significant percentage of the rural labor force, estimated at more than 40%, depends completely on nonfarm activities. The development of nonfarm activities appears to have been severely affected by low economic growth, weakening in public sector development expenditure, and lower worker remittances during the 1990s.

Social policies of some kind have been applied in Pakistan. It is their significance to additional social and human development, which tends to differ. However, social policies are often not conceptualized as social policies in the development context, but rather dealt with, in a broader concept of social development or in the context of poverty reduction strategies. The aim of this chapter is to examine what kind of social policies represent social benefits and what is their relation to social development. In the area of social policies, it is further concerned about social services, such as education and health services. Thus, this chapter examines the case of poverty in Pakistan, the government’s efforts for reducing poverty, and the need to improve the social policy structure in the country.

In this regard, institutions that certainly affect individual preferences are considered. Regions with low poverty are the essential determinants of social policies as well as political struggles. Looking at the diagram of Pakistan, institutional structures are constructing individual preferences. Institutions are trying to work together in order to provide future protection to their employees, but it divided the social structure. Therefore, the state employees or employees belonging to social schemes may have future protection. However, workers in rural or agricultural fields who do not meet the criteria to join social schemes do not have future protection.

2. Poverty in Pakistan: statistics and facts

2.1. calculating poverty.

Calculating a poverty line grounded on some lowest standard level of consumption and assessing the proportion of population below that line, are the most frequently used standard for the measurement of income or consumption‐related poverty. However, Planning Commission of Pakistan has recommended an official poverty line in 2000, after 53 years of its independence. According to the definition of Planning Commission, the official poverty line for Pakistan will be estimated on 2350 calories per adult equivalent per day. This is based on an adult equivalent intake of 2150 calories in the urban areas and 2450 calories in the rural areas. Recent trends of poverty in Pakistan are being presented in Table 1 .

Table 1.

Trends in poverty, based on different studies.

The above data illustrate that the incidence of poverty is not constant. There is a persistent decline in poverty based on official poverty evaluation since 2000–2001. There was an elevation in poverty during 1987–1988 to 1998–1999. It was still nearby in 2001–2002 (34.5%). But, it was followed by sudden decline of more than 10% in 2004–2005. Following years from 2004 to 2011 indicates further decline in poverty. Nevertheless, this trend of fast decreasing in poverty has not only created a huge disturbance in the media, but also among development authorities and civil society [ 11 ]. But, these trends obtained a support from independent evaluation by the World Bank, which revised the trends in poverty and accepted the decline in poverty [ 10 ].

2.2. Human development index

According to a recent global survey [ 12 ], Pakistan is ranked at 147 out of 188 countries in 2014, which is very low in term of human development, and also lower than neighboring countries like India (130), Bangladesh (142), Iran (69), and Sri Lanka (73). Pakistan scored 0.538 points on human development index (HDI) of 2014, which showed improvement of 0.002 points from previous year, but did not change the overall ranking. Recent trends of HDI in Pakistan are presented in Table 2 .

Table 2.

Trends in human development index.

The trends in HDI show a continuous increase in points from 1980 to 2014. However, the ranking of Pakistan remains in very low human development index countries.

Access to education is still a major challenge to Pakistan. Even though enrollment rates for primary school have increased in the past, these are still very low compared to universal values, and also lower than other low‐income countries. Similar to poverty, there are major regional, rural‐urban and gender disparities. A recent research has shown a relationship between literacy rate and poverty by calculating four indicators (literacy of household heads, their educational attainment, the presence of a literate woman in a household, and highest qualification in a household) [ 14 ]. This study showed that families with higher education levels are less exposed to poverty. For example, in Punjab province, poverty was three and half times higher in families headed by an illiterate person than families headed by literate persons. In Sindh province, 55% of poor families were headed by illiterate persons compared to 27% of poor families headed by literate persons.

Health situation and access to health services are other major challenges to Pakistan. All indicators stay at low levels except immunization rate, which points out reduced development. It could be due to very low public spending on health (0.3% of GDP), comparing with regional (0.9% in South Asia) and low‐income countries (1.6%). Similarly, infant mortality rate and life expectancy are very low [ 10 ].

Gender inequality is another issue which poses a major challenge to Pakistan. Female literacy rates remain low at 42%. Health status of women is also worse than men, and it is affected by the lack of information, mobility, and social norms. The idea of gender includes our hope about the characteristics, approaches, and behavior of women and men, and is vital in facilitating gender analysis. Majority of the females are earning less monthly income as compared to males in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Majority of the female in rural and urban areas of Pakistan belongs to low‐income groups [ 15 ]. So, there is a clear indication that feminization of poverty or gender inequality exists in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan.

2.3. Regional disparity

Regional disparity among rural and urban areas is well seen in Pakistan. The higher rate of increase in poverty in the rural areas has prompted debate on growth and productivity trends in the agriculture sector. Recent trends of poverty in rural and urban regions are being presented in Table 3 .

Table 3.

Trends in urban and rural poverty, based on different studies.

It is very clear from the above table that there is a huge disparity between urban and rural poverty. Even though both rural and urban poverty decline with every passing year, the decline in urban poverty is greater than rural poverty. Similarly, a research had established an outline that concentration of chronic poverty is found in rural areas of the country [ 20 ]. However, different poverty lines have been debated in recent research that has put the urban poverty figure on the higher side.

However, the comparison of poverty levels among agroclimatic zones is very important in poverty studies [ 21 , 22 ]. Another research exposed the difference of poverty among agricultural and other zones of the country [ 14 ]. In this research, it is confirmed that the barani 1 zone has lowest poverty rate compared to other regions of country. Rawalpindi division has less poverty because of job opportunities in Islamabad capital, armed forces, overseas migration, and strong rural‐urban linkages. However, poverty is relatively higher in Southern Punjab (cotton‐wheat zone) and Sindh than other zones of these provinces. There is a very important factor that can be drawn from the regional difference among agricultural and nonagricultural regions in the Punjab province. Northern Punjab, which has the lowest level of poverty in the country, is agriculturally poor region with the lowest cultivated area per capita, and no irrigation. On the other hand, Southern Punjab, despite its highest cultivated area per capita and 100% irrigation, is one of the poorest regions in the country.

3. Government efforts to reduce poverty

Pakistan does not have any general or universal social protection system that covers all of its population. It does not even have an umbrella institution that would extend social protection and social safety nets to the poor. However, a number of programs targeted at improving governance and responsibility of public institutions to be able to better respond to the needs of the poor, assisting them economically by creating income and employment opportunities, and improving their access to basic services are being implemented by the government, NGOs, and the private sector. Each of these sectors operates in a distinct manner as discussed in this section.

3.1. Governmental reforms

The Decentralization Plan revealed in March 2000, is an essential governance reform that targets to replace the existing highly centralized and control oriented government with a three‐tier local government system that institutes “people‐centered, rights and responsibility‐based, and service oriented” government structures. The important poverty determined facilities, such as health and education, have been transferred to district and lower local governments under this strategy. Provinces, once mainly responsible for the provision of services, assumed new responsibilities to support and supervise the performance of local governments, not as administrative members of the provincial administration, but as independent corporate bodies accountable to the electorate through political leaders.

Numerous civil service reforms have been implemented by the government to improve public sector and make it more accountable and approachable to the citizens. The issue of improving the financial management system in the country has received particular attention. Microfinance is another step that government took to provide basic support to the poor. Khushhali Bank was established in 2000 with the support of Asian Development Bank. The main aim of this bank was to benefit the poor through income generating activities, to establish small‐scale enterprises and small infrastructure ventures. Within first 2 years of its establishment, the bank had distributed an amount of Rs. 100 million to 15,000 beneficiaries, while 30% of the bank’s borrowers were women. This bank also supported social mobilization activities within poor communities and development of infrastructures such as water channels and link roads in the neglected rural areas.

Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) was founded in 1997 by the government to help poor through loans. Now, it works with the World Bank, to increase the access of poor and microenterprises to credit facilities. Policy guidelines for PPAF are provided by the board of directors, which contains three members from the government and nine members from the civil society. PPAF works as a supplier that distributes its credit through fellow organizations mainly nonprofit organizations. However, the effectiveness of PPAF in this regard has not been officially measured since 1997. So, the policymakers and researchers could not evaluate its benefits to poor.

The Zakat and Ushr Department was established in 1980, which was based on Islamic traditions in which rich people should pay a specific amount at the rate of 2.5% on their wealth to the poor. Zakat is imposed on different assets such as saving bank accounts, fixed deposits saving certificates, mutual funds, government securities on which return is paid and life insurance policies. Banks, companies, and financial institutions that operate these assets deduct Zakat. This deducted amount of Zakat transfers into Central Zakat Fund at State Bank of Pakistan. Central Zakat Fund transfers funds to Provincial Zakat Fund, which further transfers it to District Zakat Committee, based on population basis. Each District Zakat Committee further transfers funds to Local Zakat Committee at village, Mohalla (street or small towns), and other organizations such as Deeni Madaris (religious schools), government educational institutions, and vocational training institutes.

Pakistan Bait‐ul‐Mal (PBM) was set up as an autonomous corporate body in 1992. PBM was established to work for poverty alleviation through its focus on widows, orphans, disabled, needy, and poor people irrespective of sex, caste, creed, or religion. It provides educational assistance, residential accommodation and necessary facilities, free medical treatment, and promote self‐employment schemes. Federal government is the main financing source of PBM but it also receives small grants from the Zakat funds as well as from provincial and local governments.

3.2. Social security schemes

The Social Security Scheme for Employees was first introduced in March 1967. It was the first formal initiative to provide social security to the state employees. Originally, this scheme particularly covered workers in the textile industry with the objective of providing protection against possibilities of illness, maternity, work‐related injury, invalidity, and death. The coverage of the scheme was expanded in 1969, which also included workers from commercial and other industrial establishments having ten or more employees.

The Workers Welfare Fund Scheme and the Worker’s Children Education Ordinance were initiated during the early 1970s. These schemes provide education, matrimonial and housing related benefits to workers in the formal sector. The Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) was established in the year of 1976 as a federal scheme to provide old age benefits, invalidity and survivor’s pensions as well as old age grants to those eligible. It covers formal sector establishments, employing ten or more workers.

Nevertheless, none of these schemes cover workers from the agriculture region, the informal economy and those in the formal sector who are either employed temporarily or through contractors or are employed in companies with less than ten workers.

3.3. Role of NGOs and civil society

There is a close connection between NGOs, civil society, and democracy in any country. In this connection, NGOs are part of civil society that strengthens the society through activities. This process, in turn, supports the democratic development. Civil society and nonprofit sector have appeared as a significant performer on the development aspect in Pakistan, particularly in the last two to three decades. The development of NGOs and civil society as an active development entity is widely seen as a response to the failure of the state in providing successful and well‐organized basic social services, and in its overall suppression. Most of the NGOs are working with partner organization at grassroots level for poor and marginalized groups.

However, the exact extents of the nonprofit sector in Pakistan are not known because of multiple laws under which NGOs and civil society organizations can be registered with no centralized system of recordkeeping in government agencies, and also because many organizations are not registered with any agency. For example, in order to be registered, NGOs in Pakistan can opt between five different legal frameworks.

Civil society has considerably progressed in past few decades. It is flourishing in Pakistan with the recent development of technology, geopolitics, and markets. This development stimulates the construction of many civil society organizations, giving rise to exciting representation of citizens at both online and offline platforms.

There are different types of NGOs, which are associated with different types of social services. Welfare‐oriented NGOs are primarily philanthropic institutions working with vulnerable groups. Edhi Welfare Trust is the best example for this type of category. It operates a countrywide network of relief services such as ambulance, old houses, orphanage houses, women shelter houses, poor feeding houses, and its work has been recognized internationally.

Social sector, NGOs, and other civil society organizations are mainly focusing on social development limited to health or education. Agha Khan University health program is one best example, providing health and education services to poor. Numerous NGOs are employing cohesive rural and urban development programs in different parts of the country and provide a range of development services. Most of these have adopted a participatory approach and work closely with local communities.

3.4. Benazir income support program (BISP)

Benazir Income Support Program is considered an important public scheme to support poor families in all parts of the country. It was launched in 2008 as a social safety net platform aiming to increase the living standards of the poor and controlling the negative effects of slow economic growth, food crisis and inflation of the poor (predominantly women). It was started with the goal of providing money to poor families, which would help them to buy basic needs of life such as food and house expenditures. This program is very significant support of government’s development program on poverty eradication and women empowerment. Government of Pakistan has continuously increased the allocation of funds for BISP since its formation.

To allocate the poor people, BISP developed a better research design and data collection method. In the opening year, members of National Assembly (MNAs) were given the task to supervise the allocation of poor in their respective areas. However, later on, it was substituted by a Poverty Scorecard (PSC) constructed on a Proxy Means Test (PMT) applied on household census data. PMT consists of 23 variables and uses poverty characteristics such as number of assets, education level of household head and the number of dependents, to identify the poor [ 24 ]. It has identified 7.5 million families that are eligible for support fund. However, 4.6 million eligible families are already receiving support funds, which comprise of 17% of the total population. Eligible families were receiving a cash amount of 1000 Pakistan rupees per month in 2012, and the amount is expected to increase in the next years.

4. The need for improved social policy structure

The literature on poverty and poverty alleviation in Pakistan used comprehensive approaches to measure the level of poverty and poverty alleviation. Key initiatives, including government reforms mentioned earlier, reflect this comprehensive approach. The recent findings of international institutions such as the World Bank or the UN have confirmed a relative success in the Pakistan’s recent efforts to reduce poverty [ 10 , 12 , 13 ]. However, this comprehensive approach needs appreciation, but it also needs evaluation because there are gaps that still exist in the poverty literature in the country. Schemes that can be found in literature on poverty are mostly related to income‐based poverty or to economic wellbeing. Therefore, there is a gap among the overall objectives of these policies and their interventions. A comprehensive approach of poverty and poverty alleviation agendas should take into consideration some other dimensions such as gender equality, women’s empowerment, human rights and inclusive social policy.

The role that the state plays in poverty alleviation is determinant for two main reasons. First, it is widely recognized that decentralization of power favors an increase of effectiveness of antipoverty efforts. Second, one‐size‐fits‐all (or a national) approach in eradicating poverty tends to increase regional inequalities because poverty is not evenly distributed across the country. Therefore, in order to have better outcomes in poverty alleviation, the government should consider a more contextual approach in designing antipoverty policies for different regions in Pakistan.

In the scenario, poverty is not evenly distributed across the country of Pakistan. At the county level of accumulation, poverty is overwhelmingly a rural problem, with the most remote rural places at the greatest disadvantage. Thus, the country should focus more on the reasons for poverty instead of personal choices of favoritism.

On the other hand, the government has also tried to implement economic policy to reduce the poverty. Nevertheless, economic policy is different from social policy in some patterns. First, social policy identifies that social and political structure in which people live. It also determines the physical and economic environment for wellbeing of people. It recognizes the significance of the organization and institutional context within which people exist. Second, it identifies the significance of the poor’s own awareness of poverty and the context of their specific identification of priorities. It is an ambiguous concept of poverty in which policy makers and rich assume that they know what poor people want and need. Other characteristics are often neglected except measuring underlining income and consumption. Whereas being poor has various criteria and it is often a mystery that divides them into categories and identifies what do poor need, instead of realizing the real need for poor.

As poverty is more prevalent in rural than urban areas, it calls for special attention from the state toward rural areas. Social policy also appears to face additional barriers to effectiveness in rural areas. A study on the effects of the changes in social policy on employment and poverty among rural and urban female‐headed households determined that rural and urban areas differ in personal characteristics of the population, local labor market environments, work barriers, or availability of services that make it more difficult for the social policy changes to move single mothers in rural areas into employment and out of poverty [ 25 ].

5. Conclusion and future strategies

Even if some progress has been made in terms of poverty alleviation, the government’s policies have had a marginal success, especially in rural areas. Rural areas are suffering from more poverty than urban areas; therefore, the government should give priority to rural areas to reduce poverty. The government must follow a long‐term economic plan by considering the fast‐changing demographic and economic trends. At this level, Pakistan should pay more attention to the quality of poverty instead of quantity. There are four comprehensive plans and supplementary policies that states might follow in reducing poverty, particularly in rural areas. In addition to these strategies, further research is required on the features of poverty.

5.1. Provision of local economic development

Different studies (for example, see Ref. [ 26 ]) had mentioned that income subsidies, tax credits, and low‐income loans to employers are incentives that policymakers might think for disadvantaged rural areas. Such tools can act as incentives for employers to expand their business, create new jobs, hire low and semiskilled workers, and offer services like onsite childcare and van shuttles. Another research argues for regional cooperation and for including poverty and underdevelopment among the explicit criteria to retarget economic development funds to places most in need [ 27 ].

This condition requires the development of local economic structure that not only benefits local communities but also helps national economic development. The biggest criticism to this model is that local governments does not have satisfactory human, financial, and logistic resources. In addition to this, administrative staff at local government lacks basic technical and managerial skills. This criticism does not provide enough strength to national or provincial government in order to transfer power to local governments. However, training and support should be provided to local governments and their staff instead of forbidding them. Because central governments at national and provincial levels are unlikely to have the capacity to assess the diversity of local conditions or local requirements and capabilities, their staff is possibly more trained and skilled, but also more remote and far away from local conditions.

Therefore, Pakistan needs a local economic development that offers opportunities for local governments, private sector, NGOs, and civil society to work together to improve the local economy. This development centers on improving effectiveness, increasing sustainable growth, and confirming the inclusive growth. The practice of local economic development ought to be assumed at different geographic measures. This development model provides better opportunities to local communities for economic development compared to national economic model.

5.2. Construct community capability and institutions

Policies to reduce poverty would have to focus on establishing the right circumstances for new industry masses to develop. The key conditions are the institutions that advocate knowledge formation, a business culture that supports entrepreneurship, institutions of higher education such as rural community colleges. As some studies (for example, see Ref. [ 28 ]) proposed in the American context, the evidence from workforce development evaluations suggests that institutional collaborations, for example, the participation of business and community colleges in workforce investment initiatives can improve employment outcomes for low‐income workers. Therefore, institutions in domestic region not only provide new facilities and jobs but also engage the local community to improve local situations.

Furthermore, if we consider the policies that inspire new concepts of economic development, then we cannot ignore the necessity of local institutions and their role in the local development. This objective can be achieved only by cheering the communicative and dialogic exchange among different stakeholders at both, national and local levels. Therefore, the relationship among local authorities, economic divisions, and citizens could redefine the reasons and effects of poverty, as well as strategies to reduce poverty. Consequently, institutions would not only provide opportunities for work, but they will start the movement to stimulate the local communities.

Social and institutional contribution may look complex because of the different levels of contributions among local actors. However, it will change the behavior and feelings of citizens to be part of local development. Their active participation definitely helps their communities to escape the poverty trap.

5.3. Improve workers’ productivity

Development of education and workforce has been seen to have important beneficial effects on earning capacity. A review of policy evaluation for workforce development in low‐income workers concluded that education and job training are the most successful ways to help local communities to improve social conditions [ 29 ].

Occupational health and safety is a major factor for improving workers’ productivity, especially in developing countries like Pakistan that are lagging far behind in health conditions. Common features that may decrease the health safety and workers’ productivity are inappropriate workplace design, weak structured jobs, mismatch between worker abilities and job demands, and poor capital‐labor ratio. Most of these factors are not directly connected to poverty; however, these are connected indirectly by means of workers’ productivity. Therefore, it has direct or indirect effects on the overall performance of country’s profile for poverty alleviation. Thus, the government should make an effort to improve worker productivity through education and training.

A recent study (for example, see Ref. [ 30 ]) develops some policy recommendations through production jobs to reduce poverty. This research reviews the literature on poverty and growth, and suggested to set up capable institutions for productive jobs that will ultimate help to reduce poverty. Market, organizations, and government are three main institutions that are essential for development. Market is spontaneous where firms provide best practices and productive jobs to the poor areas and the government’s role is to establish a correct governing agenda for business development.

5.4. Social security for workers in rural area

As in Pakistan, social security is only serving the workers of public sector and only in urban areas. Thus, government must construct a social security policy for workers in rural areas that provides safety at their retirement age, like governments employees. Provision of social security not only reduces the dependability of old people on their children but also helps to reduce poverty by providing enough funds to old people to look after themselves. BISPK is a first step toward social security for low‐income families across the country. However, it does not cover the elderly population who claims to be in retirement age. Poverty in rural areas is different from poverty in urban areas and vice versa. Similarly, causes of poverty are also different in both areas. The biggest cause of rural poverty is lack of social security for workers, because most workers depend on their daily or monthly wages which contribute to their current life that does not provide security for the future. Therefore, initiatives should have been taken to provide social security to every citizen including private and rural workers.

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KARACHI: Grinding poverty, a lack of security, socioeconomic injustice, and increasing political polarisation are the driving forces behind rising unhappiness in South Asian countries, including Pakistan, say experts.

Rana Saba, a Karachi-based sociology professor, told Anadolu Agency on the eve of the International Day of Happiness observed on Saturday, the long-time “mediocre” economic policies of almost all regional countries, including Pakistan, have resulted in widespread poverty, unemployment, and social injustice, apart from a nearly insurmountable gap between the rich and the poor.

According to the UN World Happiness Index 2020, Pakistan is the happiest country in South Asia and 66th in the world.

Whereas India, Asia’s third-largest economy, was ranked 144th, after slipping from 140th in 2019. The Maldives is placed 87th, Nepal is 92nd, and Bangladesh is listed 107th.

Pakistan plunged to 105th out of 149 countries in the ninth World Happiness Report 2021, whereas India made its way back up to 139th.

“If you randomly ask people strolling in the streets, especially in big cities, 80 out of 100 will choose to migrate to Europe or the US if they find an opportunity,” argues Saba, who heads the Sociology Department of the University of Karachi.

Nonetheless, she went on to explain, a certain number of people, albeit a limited percentage, have improved their living standards in some way during the last few decades.

“In urban areas, literacy, especially higher education, and an inclination towards civil services have played a role in uplifting a segment of society … lower and middle class … over the past two decades,” she explained.

In rural regions, though, living standards have improved mostly as a result of overseas Pakistanis, said Saba.

Around 9 million Pakistanis living across the globe, particularly in the wealthy Gulf states, Europe, and the US, remitted nearly $30 billion last year, propping up the country’s depleting foreign reserves.

Covid-19 adds to unhappiness

Adarsh Kohli, a leading psychiatrist from Chandigarh, the joint capital of the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, observed that the coronavirus pandemic has added to the unhappiness already present in South Asian societies, particularly India, amid the economic meltdown and health-related suffering.

“During Covid-19, many developments took place. There was an economic downturn, people suffered, died, and a lot of them are still struggling to make ends meet,” Kohli observed, speaking to Anadolu Agency .

The economy, she said, is an important parameter to gauge happiness in a country.

“When you don’t have income, don’t have food, how can one be happy?” she questioned.

Apart from economic woes, she contended, social isolation and a ban on meetings and gatherings due to the pandemic also added to the already dwindling contentment.

“Although there was a similar phenomenon in other neighbouring countries, the difference in India is that the poor have a greater dependence on and expectation from their government. This is probably the reason their happiness was affected more than in other countries,” said Jaswinder Pal Singh, an author in the western Indian state of Gujarat who also runs a nonprofit organisation called the Institute of Happiness.

‘Happiness is perceived incorrectly’

Singh believes happiness is often perceived “incorrectly” in today’s societies.

“Each segment of society is unhappy today because, in general, people perceive happiness incorrectly. It’s important to shift our perspective from living an outside-in life to living an inside-out existence,” he posits.

“Society is nothing but a set of individuals, and if each individual in the society makes this important shift in perception, they will be happier, and hence, society will be happier.”

Citing “increasing desires” as another factor contributing to the growing unhappiness, Singh said that when material options in a growing economy multiply, “people start having bigger desires and so get into the vicious cycle of more-better-best.”

“In their continuous strive for more, they miss enjoying them now as there’s always something to finish before they have the time to be happy,” he explained, adding that “this leads to a drop in their happiness index as goals are in the future and happiness is in the now.”

Iqbal Afridi, an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, agreed with Singh’s assessment, citing the “bad” effect of technology, as well as a lack of sports and recreational facilities as other causes of juvenile unhappiness and drug use.

Religious factor

In contrast to India, Pakistan has jumped a spot in the UN index compared to 2019.

An unimpressed Saba, however, downplayed the numbers game, contending that Pakistanis, in real terms, are equally as unhappy with the current economic and security situation as people in other regional countries.

Religion may be a factor that propels Pakistanis to stay happy or express happiness, she argued.

“Pakistan is a relatively more religious country in the region. To be grateful to Allah, in any circumstances, is one of the basic teachings of Islam,” she went on to explain.

“Alhamdulillah (by the grace of God), everything is fine, is the patent answer in replying to the inquiry about his or her condition,” she said in a lighter tone.

Otherwise, she claimed, successive regimes have done nothing enough to “make our people happy in terms of economy, security, and justice.”

Afridi, echoing Saba’s viewpoint, observed that the practice of the teachings of patience and gratefulness by a sizable segment of society, notably the low-income bracket, has propelled Pakistanis to the top of South Asia’s happiness index.

Otherwise, he believes, Pakistan is no different from other South Asian societies in terms of the common adversities they face.

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Monday, 20 February 2017

Illiteracy in pakistan - causes, impacts and solutions - english essay.

CAUSES OF ILLITERACY

Impacts of illiteracy, solution of illiteracy, i. awareness about problem: , ii:attitude change: , iii. literacy programs., iv. free educational items: , v. increase the importance of education: , vi. change the mindset:, you may also like:.

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Poverty in Pakistan: Impacts, Causes, and Way Forwards

March 26, 2022
Current Affairs , Pakistan's Domestic Affairs , PMS
41952 Views

Poverty in Pakistan: Impacts, Causes, and Way Forwards | Best for CSS, PMS Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs, and Essay Papers

The answer is solved by Syed Muhammad Hamza on the given pattern, which Sir Syed Kazim Ali teaches to his students, who consistently score the maximum because of their attempting the questions.

Introduction:

Supplementing and, in some ways, overshadowing the other socio-economic malfunctions of society, poverty in Pakistan is perhaps the most dreadful fact. Inept governance, high unemployment rate, substandard education system, and other factors have grasped Pakistan ever since its creation. However, the development of economic ventures, pragmatic economic policies, and political stability may strengthen the fragile economy of Pakistan.

1- What is poverty?

2- Current situation

3- Impacts of poverty

Increasing terrorism
Boosting the rate of unemployment
Declining Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Increasing child labour

4- Causes of poverty

The crisis of good governance
The political instability
The uneducated and unskilled segment of youth
The population explosion

5- Way forward

To ensure a well-functioning of governance
To build an efficient and peaceful political environment
To draw out schemes and reliefs packages for the poor people
To create new economic ventures
To utilize man resources critically and effectively for the economic betterment of the state
To revive the education system

6- Critical analysis

7- Conclusion

Answer to the Question

Introduction

Undoubtedly, poverty is the malice that destabilizes a state socially, economically, and politically. Like other underdeveloped countries, Pakistan is also suffering socio-economic declivity due to poverty. Moreover, it has led to many other social evils: corruption, unemployment, child labour, injustice, and terrorism. However, the deep study of Pakistan’s economic situation since its inception shows several factors behind the rise of poverty. The state’s political instability, a considerable chunk of the uneducated and unskilled population, the crisis of good governance, and unequal distribution of resources are a few factors contributing to poverty in Pakistan. Nevertheless, introducing pragmatic economic policies, restructuring the education system, creating working opportunities, reducing corruption, and sorting political and governance chaos may help pull the country out of the very malice. The following answer discusses the impacts and causes of poverty on the polity and the measures needed to alleviate poverty in Pakistan.

Poverty is a condition in which a person or a household cannot meet their necessities, like food, clothing, shelter, and education. Usually, poverty is defined in terms of money, called income-based poverty. According to Syed Akbar Ali Zaidi, “ Traditionally, poverty is defined as some measure of monetary income considered adequate for subsistence . However, income in monetary terms may not be an adequate measurement of living conditions of the poor population” .

Compared to the days of inception, Pakistan has made notable progress in eradicating poverty in the last couple of decades. As per an estimate, by 2015, approximately 30 million people have pulled out the poverty, but covid-19 has reversed all the efforts made in the last 30 years. About ten million more people are expected to be added in nearly fifty million poor people. As per the Human Development Index 2020, Pakistan was ranked 154th among 189 countries. Despite many efforts and progress, Pakistan needs to take more measures to cure poverty. As per the statistics, about 40 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line and could hardly meet their necessities. Thus, poverty stands as the biggest challenge for Pakistan.

Poverty, as a matter of fact, has distorted the socio-economic fabric of the state. Poverty and a poor administrative system have given rise to injustice and corruption. People deprived of the necessities of life become easily engaged in terrorist activities; hence, poverty has acted as a catalyst in spreading terrorism. Apart from the poor law and order situation, poverty has also added fuel to the fire of unemployment. Lack of Foreign Direct Investment has brought a decline in the country’s economic growth; consequently, the youth of the country find no economic opportunity. Moreover, poverty has also given rise to child labour. According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics and National Child Labour 2018-19, about twenty million children less than 14 years of age are working to meet their family economic needs. To conclude, poverty has an adverse ripple effect on the country’s socio-economic fabric.

The number of factors explains the spike in poverty. For instance, the crisis of good governance has been the paramount reason amongst all the other factors. A huge chunk of Pakistan’s population is deprived of clean water, health, food, and education facilities. Moreover, political instability has blurred the country’s image. So that the quick shifts of powers between governments and dictators have shrugged the population’s confidence, the political stability of the polity has distant itself. In addition to political instability, the lack of skilled and educated youngsters has halted the economic progress of Pakistan. As per the report of UNESCO 2019, about 37 per cent of the youth of the country is out of school. Pakistan spends the least expenditure on the education system in its region, nearly 2.4 per cent of GDP in the fiscal year 2018-2019. Last, the explosion of population, becoming one of the prominent reasons for poverty, has immensely burdened the fragile economy of Pakistan. Pakistan ranks fifth amongst the most populated countries of the world. Thus, to combat the burgeoning poverty rate, Pakistan needs to plan critically.

In response to the challenges aroused by poverty, Pakistan needs to come up with critical, pragmatic measures:

The state government must ensure the necessities of the population: health, food, and shelter are fulfilled. In addition, proper distribution of resources among the provinces should also be made practical.
A peaceful political environment is the need of Pakistan’s economy. The political leaders and religious personnel must work on bringing stable and pragmatic policies in the interest of Pakistan.
Different relief schemes may help poor people to meet their needs.

The proper function and distribution of packages, like the Ehsas Ration Programme, may help feed millions of poor people.

Moreover, new economic ventures should be introduced to indulge the state’s youth in uplifting the country out of poverty. Pakistan stands among the sixth in the top overpopulated countries, but a proper and effective opportunity can be drawn out of this challenge. Pakistan can use its human resources to flourish in agriculture, construction, and IT to unburden its fragile economy. The most overpopulated country may combat poverty critically and successfully by bringing new economic opportunities. And the most important solution to poverty lies in the revival of the education system. Unfortunately, the education system of Pakistan is obsolete and obscure. By rejuvenating the system, the youth of Pakistan would surely be able to draw new trajectories to pull the country out of the crisis. Thus, the abovementioned suggestions would surely help in plucking the malice of poverty and many other social evils.

It is high time for Pakistan to consider poverty seriously. By creating economic opportunities, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) would surely get a boost. Consequently, the economic condition of the state would enhance. Similarly, Pakistan being a baby booster country, can enlighten its future by making its youth educated. As it is aptly said, “Education is indispensable for the success of a state” . To sum up, the government of Pakistan needs to appoint competently and well-qualified economists to tackle the uprising challenges. And other stakeholders must take their responsibility equitably.

Unfortunately, Pakistan has been suffering several challenges. Amongst them, poverty stands the most crucial. It has hampered the socio-economic fabric of the state and has also killed the creativity of many young and charming minds. Moreover, lacking food and other necessities have engulfed the dreams of many poor people. Thus, building economic opportunities and technical and educational institutions would surely help lift the helpless population.

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