As fiscal indicators inch toward stability, the ground reality for millions of Pakistanis tells a different, more painful story — one of empty plates, shrinking opportunities, and a state that appears dangerously unhurried in its response. Poverty reduction, an urgent goal embraced across South Asia, is conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s national agenda. This absence is not only alarming — it is morally and strategically indefensible. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently revised Pakistan’s economic growth forecast downward by 2.6 percent. In the same breath, the World Bank projected that another 1.9 million people will fall below the poverty line this year. That would push Pakistan’s poverty rate to over 42 percent, nearly half the nation. For a country whose very fabric is woven with the dreams and struggles of its people, such numbers should ring alarm bells across every corridor of power. Yet, we find celebration in macroeconomic stabilization and inflationary control, while poverty continues to deepen. This disconnect is not just troubling, it is dangerous. The World Economic Outlook underscores that Pakistan’s projected growth is simply insufficient to pull people out of poverty. Economists insist that the country needs to grow at a sustained rate of 6 to 8 percent annually to meaningfully cut poverty and generate jobs for the 2–3 million youth entering the labor market each year. It is a reasonable benchmark, one already being achieved by our neighbors. Countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam ect. have success stories. Sustained growth above 6 percent, strong governance, political stability, and a clear understanding that poverty alleviation is foundational to national progress. These countries didn’t stumble into success; they planned for it. Where does Pakistan stand? Far behind. Poverty alleviation is not a headline priority in economic policy or political discourse, despite loud warnings from international agencies. The World Bank has flagged that 10 million Pakistanis are at risk of acute food insecurity this year. That figure should be enough to unite every party, ministry, and policymaker around a single, shared priority: putting food on people’s tables and dignity in their lives. According to the Asian Development Bank, Pakistan suffers average annual losses of over USD 2 billion due to climate disasters, yet development funds continue to go unutilized. From 2017 to 2023, the amount of rolled-over foreign assistance nearly doubled. Projects stall not for lack of resources, but because of outdated systems, poor planning, and a chronic failure to absorb aid effectively. A country is not its stock market. It is not its exchange rate. It is not its foreign reserves. A country is its people. Moreover, when 42 percent of those people live below the poverty line, that is not just a policy failure; it is a national crisis. No amount of fiscal stabilization can compensate for the breakdown of the social contract between the state and its citizens. The irony is stark. Global agencies that understand the human cost of poverty are sounding the alarm. Meanwhile, national leadership continues to overlook the slow-burning emergency in our homes, schools, and markets. Poverty alleviation must be declared as a top national priority now. That means targeted investments in agriculture, health, and education. Climate-resilient infrastructure and rural development. Social safety nets that actually reach the most vulnerable. Structural reforms to accelerate project implementation and fund absorption. Political consensus on poverty as a non-negotiable national goal. Pakistan cannot afford to treat poverty as a footnote in its development narrative. It must be the headline. Until then, as the region marches forward, Pakistan will remain caught in a cycle of missed opportunities, widening inequality, and unrealized potential. It is time to ask when we will stop treating poverty as someone else’s problem.
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