Poverty in Pakistan

Poverty shapes a horrifying giant to Pakistan and this giant continuously becoming healthier that swallowing the whole developmental resources and each effort done towards the progress is simply going down the drain. It becomes a great challenge to the rulers, legislators, politicians, policy makers and other concerned regulators. Poverty is growing rapidly and offsetting the whole economic gainful which is a big dilemma.Today about 45 % of whole populace is living below the poverty line and this percentage is on ascending trend which invites the whole intellectual forces to come on the point. The situation prevailing is so worse that require some immediate action with utmost focused attention. This deteriorating situation should be on the top of the priority list to the government while it seems that things are slipping through the hands of governmental agencies. Government has started several programs on poverty reduction and eradication with the help of international organizations like UN, IMF, ADB and other donor organization but the efforts being made are doesnt reap any viable results. What are the reason behind the failure of such project and why theses program could not prove fruitful? The answer to these questions requires a separate full course investigation process which should be embark on immediately while on the other hand these projects should be on the way with greater momentum.It is really a pinching fact that Pakistan becomes one of those countries where about all social and economic indicators are on the declining side which is shameful for our so called representatives who are now in the parliament and doing nothing for their peoples betterment except enjoying facilities and protocol. Pakistans circumstances today is substantially contributing and providing more leverage to the ever rising poverty and vulnerability. Corruption, Illiteracy, Unemployment, Situation of Law and Order, these all are strongly inter-related factors. Especially the so called war on terror which has causes a never ending series of suicide attacks which has simply paralyzed the whole society and economy There are several reasons which are responsible for the exponential poverty rate. Corruption is one of the greater worth as all efforts being made against this evil are prove in vain. Pakistan is among those countries where governmental agencies and departments become paralyzed due to top to bottom malfeasance and corruption. There exist many example that governmental department performing against their own objective like anti-corruption department itself involve in corruption. There are certain other reasons of great substance which are expanding poverty, like Injustice, Improper distribution of wealth, Unemployment, Illiteracy, Feudalism, Uneven social order and sense of deprivation among the different regional and social groups Now there is need to devise planning and execution to fight with this social upheaval with the whole available sources and each segment of society is responsible and should act with due course. Measures should be taken immediately to avoid further delay to eradicate poverty from its roots. Several measures can be taken towards the ultimate objective, like enhancement and encouragement of investment especially in the rural areas to generate employment opportunities. Provision of cheap microfinance to the small enterprisers and individuals to assist them and help them to earn their livelihood in respectful manners. Educational with technical and vocational training facilities can help to eliminate poverty. Mapping and capping of corruption will automatically reduce the poverty, certain other social issues like justice at the doorstep, health

care facilities, level playing field for all, equality and egalitarianism are quite substantial avenues to start. At the end although the situation prevailing in our country is much inferior but here is the opportunity, challenge for us to fight against this evil at each front of society

Poverty cannot be described it can only be felt. One knows more about poverty when he is hungry and cannot purchase food, he and his children want new clothes but they cant purchase it because of low income, hes sick and doesnt have money to have medicine, he wants to send his children to school but cant bear educational expenditures. The world Development Reports define poverty as pronounced deprivation in well being. Poverty can be measured by following three methods, i.e. Head Count Ratio, Basic Needs Approach, and Poverty of Opportunity. Pakistan has been experiencing many serious problems. It cannot be expected for everything to be fixed overnight. It is very important though to establish goals and set up priorities. What is needed most is a stable democratic government, basic essentials for all, access to proper education and healthcare and justice for ALL. Pakistan provides a very large number of highly skilled professionals including doctors, engineers, scientists and many others all over the world .That is something surely to be proud of. But wait a minute and look more carefully. Why do we let so many beautiful minds go to waste? There is so much difference between the rich and the poor there. That is so sad. Only if everyone truly had opportunities what a beautiful world it would be. I know that once given a chance people have a lot of potential. There is one poor family I personally know in Pakistan with a remarkable story. The husband earned a living selling somosas, a fried snack made with potatoes and flour, on a cart for less than an American penny a piece. The wife washed dishes and clothes for a living. In spite of their hardships and very meager resources, they sent their eldest son, Saleem, to school. By the time he finished high school, some of his family members told him that he had studied enough. This boy never gave up. He was very brilliant and determined so he went to college, which he paid for by tutoring wealthy students. He eventually became a Charted Accountant. He persuaded his sister to study, and helped her to get her B.A. and M.A. They were able to earn enough money to leave the servant quarters of the house where the mother washed dishes and moved to a house of their own. All of this happened because of education. Education opened doors for them to possibilities which they could not have dreamed of otherwise. Three years ago, I went to a Human Development foundation event in Boston where I saw a video of a little girl in a Pakistani village, living in extreme poverty. She excitedly said that "When I grow up, I will study and become a doctor!"( "Jab mein bari hon gi main doctor banoon gee!") I was really moved and still see her face. Why should she not be able to fulfill her dreams? There are many children like this who are eager to learn. This is the kind of excitement and energy that Pakistan needs to invest in. Once ignited, this fire will never be extinguished. It must be the biggest priority and a goal to provide education to all in Pakistan.

Poverty and ignorance is a very dangerous combination. It can trap people in inescapable circles and could lead to frustration and despair. It not only makes one vulnerable to disease and suffering but to all kinds of exploitations. This is especially true in remote areas. The world needs to help Pakistan provide its people with education and provide them with possibilities. It may sound simplistic but it is well proven to be the strongest weapon and a solution to many complex problems. For when there are possibilities there is hope. And when there is hope, life is worth living.
Pakistan is a poor country. Its economy is facing fluctuations now a day. At the time of independence Pakistan has very low resources and capital, so the processes of progress were very slow. Unfortunately the politicians of Pakistan were all not well aware of modern global system and the progress processes and the needs of country. Due to bad policies today Pakistan is facing a lot of problems. The continuous failure of policies leads the people of country to miserable conditions. The major problem in the country is poverty which is becoming the cause of crime and social disorder. It is difficult to point out all causes of poverty in Pakistan but the major causes of are given below: Government Policies: Government is not well aware of present conditions of country. The policies of government are base on the suggestions of officials which do not have awareness about the problems of a common man. After implementation the policies do not get effective result. After the failure of one policy, government does not consider its failure and announces another policy without studying the aftermaths of last one. Heavy taxes and unemployment crushes the people and they are forced to live below poverty line. The suitable medical facilities are not provided to people and they are forced to get treatment for private clinics which are too costl Corruption: Another cause of poverty is corruption. There are two types of corruption. There is not morality and every one is trying to earn more and more by using fair and unfair means. Officials waste their time has low efficiency. Only one relationship that is exists in society is money. One has to pay a heavy cost to get his right. Law and order conditions are out of control and institutions are failed to provide justice to a common man. Justice can be bought by money only. But government is unable to control such type of things. In this whole scenario some corrupt people has been occupying the resources and common man is living in miserable conditions. Division of Agricultural Land: Pakistan is an agricultural country. Most of people are farmers by profession. One has land which is fulfilling the needs of his family but he has to divide the land into his children when they got young. After division the land is not sufficient to support a family. Now the families of his children are suffering and spending their lives below poverty line. Materialism: In our society social bonding are gradually becomes thinner and thinner. A race of material object has been started even no one tried to understand the problems of others. Every one is gradually changing from human to a bioman which only know about his needs and have no concept about the limitations of others. People are not ready to help each other. At last every one has lose his trust on others which effect our social and economic system and it is another cause of poverty.

Lack of Education: The literacy rate of Pakistan is very low. Most of people do not have any concept about the modern earning sources. Most people are unable to adopt technology for their business needs, thats why business do not meet international standards and results as decrease in revenue which lead the society to poor financial conditions. Large Scale Import: The import of Pakistan is greater than export. Big revenue is consumed in importing good every year, even raw material has to import for industry. If we decrease import and establish own supply chains from our country natural resources the people will have better opportunities to earn. Law and Order: There are lot of problems regarding law and order. Terrorist attacks create uncertainty in stock markets and people earning from stock are getting loss due to which the whole country faces uncertain increase in commodity prices. Fluctuated Foreign investment: Foreign investor comes to local markets. They invest millions of dollars in stock markets and stock market gets rise in index. Then the investor withdraws his money with profit and market suddenly collapses. The after math always be faced by poor people. Privatization: Government is unable to manage the departments and country has low reserve assets. So the meet the requirements some companies run by government are sold to foreign investors. The commodities or services provided by the companies are becoming costly. For example if government sold a gas plant then prices for gas in country rises. Moral Culture: The main reason for poverty is the social dishonesty and irresponsible behavior of people. Every one is trying to get rich by using unfair means. A shop keeper is ready to get whole money from the pocket of customer. People doing jobs are not performing their duties well. In society the man considered brave or respectful who do not pay taxes or continuously violate the laws. This irresponsible behavior continuously increases and produces loss for county.

Hassan Ali Thursday, 20 Jan 2011 10:00 pm | Comments (7) Poverty is a curse. It is consistently on the rise around the globe. According to the latest report of the World Bank, global poverty ratio is on the rise and Pakistan is not an exemption. The ongoing global financial and banking crisis, especially in the USA and the EU has already pushed millions of people into deeper poverty. According to the latest estimates of the World Bank, almost 40 percent of 107 developing countries are highly exposed to the poverty. Pakistan is ranked among the 43 countries most exposed to poverty risks. Poverty is widespread in Pakistan and is predominantly a rural phenomenon. Nearly two thirds of our population lives in rural areas. Most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Many of them lack basic needs such as safe drinking water, primary health care, education and other social services. A World Bank report titled Sparing lives, better reproductive health for poor women in South Asia has revealed that Pakistans 37.4 percent children under the age of five are malnourished. The South Asia region still has nearly 400 million poor people out of a population of 1.42 billion. Poverty is not just endemic; it is increasingly becoming concentrated with the passage of time. A high poverty ratio has decreased Pakistans

spending on social sector further. According to Pakistans Planning Commission, poverty rate has jumped from 23.9 to 37.5 percent in the last three years. The commission has estimated that in 2005 there were 35.5 million people living below the poverty line but in 2008 their number increased to over 64 million. Consequently, unemployment has also increased. Moreover, 40 percent of the urban population lives in slum areas. Reduction in social sector spending is increasing poverty and has reduced the standard of living in the country. High inflation, price hike and shortage of commodities have also added to the problem. It is the hallmark of our macro-economy. I would like to suggest the following steps to the government to wage a war against poverty. A massive effort for job creation and employment generation in order to reduce the high levels of poverty must be launched. Infrastructure development would be an effective tool to curb the rising ratio of poverty. Housing is another sector which needs to be promoted and encouraged through a well planned incentives package. Transportation sector should also be reactivated. Better law and order situation would be helpful in the restoration of business activities and to reduce rising poverty. Poverty in Pakistan is a growing concern. Poverty is widespread in Pakistan and is particularly predominant in rural areas.Poverty is the lack of basic human needs, such as clean water , nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter, because of the powerlessness to afford them. This is also referred to as absolute poverty. Relative poverty is the condition of having fewer resources or less income than others within a society or country, or compared to worldwide averages. Poverty in Pakistan is a growing concern, as it is a developing country. The literacy rate of Pakistan is very low. Most of people do not have any notion about the contemporary earning sources. Most people are unable to assume expertise for their business needs, thats why business do not meet international standards and results as decrease in proceeds which lead the humanity to poor financial environment. In our society social bonding are slowly but surely becomes thinner and thinner. A chase of material object has been started even no one tried to understand the problems of others. People are not ready to help each other. At last everyone has lose his trust on others which affect our social and economic system and it is another cause of poverty. The import of Pakistan is greater than export. Big revenue is consumed in importing good every year, even raw material has to import for industry. If we decrease import and launch own supply chains from our country natural resources the people will have better opportunities to earn. Pakistan is an agricultural country. Most of people are farmers by occupation. One has land which is gratifying the needs of his family but he has to divide the land into his children when they got young. After division the land is not sufficient to support a family. Now the families of his children are suffering and spending their lives below poverty line. Another main reason for poverty is the social dishonesty and irresponsible behavior of people. Everyone is trying to get rich by using unfair means. A shop keeper is ready to get whole money from the pocket of customer. People doing jobs

are not performing their duties well. In society the man considered brave or respectful who do not pay taxes or continuously violate the laws. This irresponsible behavior continuously increases and produces loss for the country. Poverty is distressing the societies in many ways, diseases are more widely spread because poor people cannot afford hygienic foods and pure drinking water which is much expensive. Many infants born into poverty have a low birth weight, which is related with many preventable mental and physical disabilities. Not only are these poor infants more likely to be irritable or sickly, they are also more likely to die. Poor families experience much more stress than middle-class families. Besides financial uncertainty, these families are more likely to be exposed to series of negative events including illness, depression, job loss, criminal oppression, and family death.Homelessness, or extreme poverty, carries with it a particularly strong set of risks for families, especially children. Homeless children are less likely to receive proper nutrition and immunization. They experience more health problems. Homeless families experience even greater life stress than other families, including increased, family relationships, and friendships. Every problem in the born comes up with a clarification. Only if we the people of Pakistan are enthusiastic to take measures against poverty we can take our self out from these circumstances of distress .Poverty will never end unless there are real solutions to end it; solutions based on economic justice and political changes.