40 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives below the globally accepted poverty line of $1.25 per day. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
But while the minister made some noises about the need to alleviate poverty, neither the minister nor the Nawaz Administration as a whole has announced any plans to tackle the massive and growing income inequality in the country. Instead, their focus has been on a somewhat skewed version of economic liberalisation, which may indeed have positive effects for the economy overall, but has a tendency to exacerbate income divides, unless also accompanied by carefully crafted redistributive policies.
As has been previously reported in this newspaper, the bottom 20 per cent of Pakistanis by income have never seen their incomes match inflation over the past decade, let alone outpace it. The top 20 per cent, by contrast, have seen their average incomes almost always surpass inflation. Simply put, not only is there a wide gap between the rich and the poor in Pakistan, it is getting wider. No republic can survive when such a large proportion of its population believe, correctly, that the game is rigged against them.
The hallmark of a truly civilised society is its willingness to care for the least privileged among it. For all its flaws, the previous administration set up a mechanism to help the poorest Pakistani households get by a little better, through the Benazir Income Support Programme, since renamed to the Pakistan Income Support programme. But while this income transfer scheme is a good start, sustainable poverty alleviation needs far more investment in an infrastructure that ensures social mobility. The poor in Pakistan are not looking for a handout. They just want a ladder that they can climb for themselves.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2014.
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A really depressing thing to see in Pakistan is the opening of hundreds of expensive restaurants. Obviously catering to the well heeled, but I question the people willing to spend thousands on a meal while people go hungry. Remember there will be a judgement day and all of us have to account for what we did to help our fellow man.
40% living below poverty line is very sad and worrying. Poverty not only gives us under nourishment, it also degrades people of self respect. I see many rich throwing left obver food in the dustbins which could be distributed to many poor in the local areas.I agree with population growth not under control, a GDP incraese of 3% is not enough to bring hunger down. That should be our priority number one. I have seen children walking in the streets with under nourished bodies and feel depressed. And grown ups without job and so frustrated from life.