KARACHI:
In the last three years, inflation has risen rapidly but people’s incomes have remained the same. This has increased poverty and made survival difficult for low and middle-income families. Given that most Pakistani households rely on a single person’s income, families are experiencing downward social mobility instead of upward mobility.
Thousands of middle-income families are struggling to keep their children in school and afford their educational expenses. People with chronic illnesses are forced to cut down on medicines and avoid regular consultations and treatments due to the surging cost of living. People belonging to impoverished and vulnerable backgrounds are the hardest hit. For instance, women in rural areas already lacked proper medical assistance and sufficient nutrition intake, which not only affects their health but also their newborns’ health. The floods further aggravated problems as people have been left homeless and lost all their belongings. Many such families are facing a multitude of challenges with no relief. There is an increased likelihood that millions of people will be erased from society altogether.
In Punjab, the provincial government announced plans to offer Ramazan packages for the poorer segments of society to offer them some relief in the holy month. Other provincial governments must follow suit and facilitate the impoverished and most vulnerable groups. The federal and provincial governments’ criminal disregard for the public’s hardship is alarming and one that people will remember when they go to the polls in the coming months. There is an urgent need for targeted support, particularly in flood-affected regions. The government should prioritise the people’s welfare over personal gains and offer maximum relief to the masses.
Khalida Khalid
Turbat
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2023.
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