File photo of school children praying for Malala in Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The 2013 report ranked Pakistan 146 out of 187 countries on a human development index, equal to Bangladesh and just ahead of Angola and Myanmar.
"Pakistan has one of the lowest investments in terms of education and health -- it spends 0.8 percent of its GDP on health and 1.8 percent on education," the United Nations said in a statement.
It said 49 percent of the population live in poverty.
Senator Razina Alam of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), considered the frontrunner in May elections which will mark the country's first democratic transition, pledged to transform the education system.
"We will increase resources for education and at least four percent of GDP would be allocated by the year 2018," she said.
"In the health sector we will make a threefold increase in the budget by 2018," she added.
Shafqat Mehmood, information secretary for ex-cricketer Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said his party would triple spending on education and raise spending on health five times.
"The challenge of governance is a serious challenge in Pakistan as there is a lack of attention towards responding to peoples' problems," said Mehmood.
The party is contesting elections for the first time, seeking to oust the feudal and industrial elites grouped in the PML-N and the outgoing Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which have dominated governments for decades.
"If voted into power, we will increase both the health and education budget which will be five percent of GDP for each sector," said Farooq Sattar, a senior member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which rules Karachi.
Sattar told AFP his party would tax feudal chiefs, curb corruption and improve public-sector departments to raise money for social development.
The PPP did not attend the launch of the report with other politicians, diplomats and aid workers. Organisers said its representative cancelled at the last minute.
According to its manifesto, the PPP increased the education budget by 196 percent to $78 million for 2012-13.
"In our next term we will propose an increase in state spending on health to five percent of consolidated government spending by the end of our next term," it said.
The powerful military is Pakistan's wealthiest institution. Last June's $31 billion federal budget increased defence spending by 6.8 percent.
Overall rank
Overall, Pakistan ranked a low 146 out of the 187 countries on the HDI. Norway ranked highest on the HDI at number one, while Niger ranked lowest.
Overall rank in South Asia
| Iran | 76 |
| Sri Lanka | 92 |
| Maldives | 104 |
| India | 136 |
| Bhutan | 140 |
| Bangladesh | 146 |
| Pakistan | 146 |
| Nepal | 157 |
| Afghanistan | 175 |
COMMENTS (13)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1714024018-0/ModiLara-(1)1714024018-0-270x192.webp)
beneficial information for people
Yes Pakistan need to improving in his health sector .
A "newspaper" that has a stance is not a newspaper, it's a soapbox for agitators. (a test of neutrality would be if ET publishes this)
"pakistani-politicians-make-health-education-pledges" So what happened and this is Pakistan where only politicians earn doesn't matter by licit or illicit resources not the nation.This is why politicians',ministers',bureaucrats' leaders' and elite and privileged class' people children learn abroad or in the international educational institutions not in the governmental educational institutions just due to the poor and low standard because of lack of the educational budget.The educational budget and governmental educational standard can never be increased unless leaders',ministers',bureaucrats',elite and privileged class people's children learn in the governmental educational institutions in Pakistan......
I agree with most of the comments above. If we continue with current huge non productive expenses and deprive our poor masses there is no hope or future for Pakistan. No country with the tiny economy of Pakistan in the world history had such a huge army and active programs in WMD and drones. When huge Soviet Union could not continue this policy we are doomed. The protection of civilians and nurturing youth has taken a back seat in the last several decades. It does not matter who wins the elections, the real power resides with the rich and powerful establishment.
Mullahs will never let you prosper, Pakistan's main exports will be terrorism and halwa when the mullahs come into power
The Army has a veto on all major budgetary decisions. These politcians who are making promises about spending more on the social sector, have they cleared their statements with the GHQ? If not, then their promises are just a smokescreen.
@Rana Amjad: they go to the the madrassas because of the drones in FATA
Political promises might carry more weight if they told the public where the money was going to come from. I wonder whether any of the candidates has the guts to say they are going to allocate money from the military to health, education, roads, clean water etc - I suspect the public would overwhelmingly approve.
70% of the budget is directly or indirectly spend on either buying fireworks, pay for pensions, or buy luxurious bungalows for every guy in army and establishment, and their extended relatives. Unless we reduce our defense budget, there is no hope for public spending.
Education is the key to eternal economic growth for Pakistan
Sadqay jaawaa'n!!! We've been blessed with noble, dedicated and God fearing politicians who understand the importance of health and education -- at least near the elections.