KARACHI:
PM Imran has always been talking about the problems of underage children in Pakistan. Due to poor living conditions and extreme poverty, the growth of the majority of young children across the country remain stunted, primarily due to malnutrition. However, the PM’s emotional speeches on this issue have raised the hopes of many parents.
It is rather unfortunate that, today, the astronomical rise in the prices of basic food items, such as wheat, sugar, cooking oil, pulses, vegetables, etc. has broken the backs of poor family who are currently struggling to put a single meal on the table. Since poor parents are unable to afford a healthy lifestyle, and subsequently a healthy diet, malnourishment has adversely affected children’s development and ability to lead a normal life. In many cases children are even born malnourished as a resulted of undernourished mothers. While also being in the midst of an unchecked population explosion, agriculture lands where food items were harvested are being converted to concrete jungles by powerful land mafia in nexus with paid bureaucracy and their proxies in political parties — a problem that has further exacerbated food insecurity.
Can the PM, for the sake of posterity, understand the gravity of such a crisis and the impact it could have on future generations? If yes, then he should ensure that his administration tackles this issue and initiates emergency steps to provide relief by controlling the price of basic food items. If the Federal Government musters up the political will, it can have at its disposal over Rs300 billion from the powerful elites of this country which could be invested in putting an end to this crisis. The choice is between life and death, salvation and greed.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2020.
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