poverty in pakistan essay in easy wording

Essay on Poverty in Pakistan with Outline | Causes and Solutions

Poverty in pakistan essay with outline for class 10, class 12 and graduation.

Here is an essay on Poverty in Pakistan with the outline for students of different classes. A good student should start writing Poverty in Pakistan essay with an outline and later discuss the reasons behind it and should end up with the solutions to deal with the reasons of this problem.

Outline of Essay on Poverty in Pakistan for F.A, FSC, 2nd Year, B.A & BSC

• Introduction with the Poverty in Pakistan.
• Reasons behind this problem.
• Population explosion
• The economic system is based on feudalism
• unequal distribution of wealth
• Politicians of Pakistan
• Solutions to deal with this problem.

Poverty in Pakistan Essay

Pakistan is a poor and underdeveloped country. Most of its population lives in entirely adverse circumstances. Some reports reveal that more than forty percent population of Pakistan live below the line of poverty. The average income of a poor Pakistani is less than two dollars. A large number of people in our country do not have a proper place to live. This miserable condition has given birth to a large number of beggars and needy people, who live on the charity of the rich people. The economic condition of an average individual is very pathetic. Poverty, hunger and unemployment afflict a large section of the population. The causes of poverty’are quite obvious and known.

Firstly: We are facing a population explosion. There are more mouths to feed than there are hands to earn. One member of the family has to feed and support a large family. His income is limited. He cannot afford to maintain a large family. He works hard and consequently, he falls ill and dies. Then his wife steps in, work in village field or city homes to bring up her children. This cycle of poverty goes on. A poor remains poor the whole of his life. The main cause of poverty in Pakistan lies in the difference between the resources and the population increase.

Secondly: Most of the people in Pakistan are uneducated. They are ill-equipped to lead a good life. They do not know the modern methods of farming. They are ignorant to better ways of earning money in the mills and factories. With poor knowledge of life, they cannot increase production in mills and factories. Modern machinery is mostly computerized. An uneducated person cannot understand and operate the computer. How can he add to his income? The result is that he remains poor till the last moment of his life. It is very sad that rulers do not educate the workers. The workers do not get a chance to earn more money.

Thirdly: Our economic system is based on feudalism. A big landlord keeps the small farmers and workers under his political slavery. The “Haries” in Sindh, for example, have tried to get freedom from the feudal lords but who avail. In Baluchistan, there exists the “Sardari system”. This system does not allow the children of a poor farmer to get the education and find good jobs. Higher education is open only to the children of big landlords and sardars. in Punjab and NWFP the same condition exists.The economic condition of the small farmers and workers cannot become better in the presence of feudal lords i.

Fourthly: Pakistan is a country where there is no social, cultural and economic justice. The rich people in Pakistan are becoming mere rich, while the poor are becoming more poor. The economic disparity between the rich and the poor has eaten the very vitals of society.

Fifthly: Poverty in Pakistan exists due to Scarcity of jobs in the public and government sector. Our rulers are not responsible, dedicated and missionary. They failed to build new dams, a network of industry and roads in the country. The shortage of electricity and gas has resulted in the lock up of mills and factories. New factories were not set up in the past. The result is that our uneducated worker remains unemployed. The educated people have degrees, but they do not have opportunities to get a job. Many countries in the world have solved this problem. Pakistan too can solve the problem by adopting the following measures.

The rulers of Pakistan must discard their lavish way of living. They must be “one” with their people. They must lead a life of a common and hardworking person. This will go a long way to bridge. over the disparity between a rich and poor person. The population explosion must be controlled. People should be educated and guided to produce a small number of children. More industries, mills and factories should be set up to provide jobs to the workers and Small farmers.

If you have ended up reading with Essay on Poverty in Pakistan, you can go for Essay on Child Labour .

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Poverty eradication in Pakistan: Past, present, and future

Blog 12 Oct 2020 State and COVID-19

While the current government in Pakistan has taken a multi-dimensional approach and introduced some measures to eradicate poverty, along with specific COVID-19 emergency interventions, many challenges still remain. We lay out our thoughts below on whether Pakistan is on track to achieving SDG1 by 2030 , given that another 10 million are expected to move into poverty due to the pandemic.

Over the past two decades, Pakistan has made significant progress in fighting poverty, reducing it by more than half since 2000. As one of the first countries in the world to declare Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its national development agenda and updating the national poverty line in 2016 [1] , Pakistan has remained committed to improving multi-dimensional poverty measures.

Progress in the last decade

As per the latest official figures , the poverty headcount ratio declined from 29.5% in 2013-14 to 24.3% in 2015-16. Of all 114 countries for which the World Bank measures poverty indices, Pakistan was amongst the top 15 that showed the largest annual average percentage point decline between 2000 and 2015.  Despite this, by 2015, around 50 million people still lived below the national poverty line. Since then, the pace of poverty reduction has slowed down. This is partly due to the macroeconomic crisis resulting from structural economic issues and the lack and inadequate implementation of pro-poor policies.

Measuring poverty

Lack of accurate and consistent poverty estimates has been a key hindrance in formulating effective pro-poor policies in Pakistan. The use of monetary poverty lines tied to currency conversion rates with differing purchasing power parities, along with the use of different methodologies has led to inconsistent measures. For instance, between 2010 and 2015, show a decline in poverty headcount while an independent policy think tank estimated that around 38% of the population was still living below the poverty line in 2015; which in absolute terms meant an additional 13 million people falling into poverty . Bureaucratic and political delays in regularly updating the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) survey has also led to issues in targeting (the last round of the NSER survey was carried out in 2010-11).

In 2016, the government tailored a widely used global poverty measure, the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI), for Pakistan. The aim was to capture the three main deprivation indicators: education, health, and living standards. Based on 2017-18 estimates , 38.3% of the population was deprived in at least one of the three indicators - an improvement from previous years, largely from progress in sanitation and child mortality. However, deprivation resulting from a  lack of access to electricity increased.

COVID-19 and increased vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities play a central role in perpetuating poverty as poor households lack necessary human, financial, and physical capital to withstand the negative impacts of sudden shocks. It is no surprise that COVID-19 is expected to be up to  10 times more deadly for the poor . A recent UNDP study of 70 countries, including Pakistan, estimated that COVID-19 may set poverty levels back by 9 years, with an additional 490 million people falling into multidimensional poverty.

Prior to COVID-19, Pakistan’s economy was already struggling with a fiscal crisis and undergoing an IMF-sponsored macroeconomic stabilisation programme. With one of the lowest human development indicators around, the government estimates that 56.6% of the population has now become socio-economically vulnerable due to COVID-19. As one of the youngest countries in the world, with nearly two-thirds of the population under the age of 30, a consistent GDP growth rate of 7% is required to absorb the young workforce. With a projected growth rate of only 2% post-pandemic, unemployment rates may rise drastically, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Despite a declining poverty rate over the past few years, the IMF has also projected a sharp reversal ahead, which may push almost 40% of Pakistanis below the national poverty line. The cost of the expected economic slowdown due to COVID-19 containment measures, invariably relying on some form of lockdown, will mostly be borne by the estimated 24.89 million daily wage earners, piece-rate workers, and self-employed in. These groups are more vulnerable to pandemic-induced poverty due to a lack of access to social protection programmes.

What didn’t work in the past

Pakistan has a long history of poverty reduction policies and interventions. However, the persistently high poverty levels reflect the inadequacy of these measures resulting mainly from a focus on static measures and limited outreach. Poverty reduction programmes account for just about 2% of GDP ; due to lack of coordination, inefficient implementation, and inadequate monitoring and evaluation, there is often duplication and fragmentation across these programmes.

Despite deep-rooted economic inequalities and the sheer number of people impacted, policymakers have largely steered clear of addressing the issue of inequality . It is estimated that 40% of all children born in abject poverty will remain in the lowest income quintile, another 40% will improve slightly from very poor to poor, while only 10% will be able to transition out during their lifetime [2] . Research also shows that while relatively high economic growth in 2001-04 was not pro-poor, the low growth period of 2005-10 saw better poverty indices. This indicates that policy interventions for the poor are not all the same; there is a need to have a more targeted approach for transitionary and inter-generational chronic poor.

What Pakistan has done right

Early indications point to the government’s commitment to poverty reduction, as it has pledged to  reduce poverty by 6 percentage points to 19% by 2023. Measures include increasing poverty alleviation expenditures and ensuring that vulnerable groups such as women, children, and people with disabilities receive needed aid.

One such measure is the integration of more than 134 fragmented and insufficiently managed social protection programmes, and prone to political manipulation, under ‘Ehsaas’. This is a new overarching programme launched in 2019, built on the framework developed under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). BISP is one of South Asia’s largest cash transfer programmes and Pakistan’s flagship social protection initiative. Launched in 2008, BISP currently caters to 5.7 million ultra-poor families via unconditional cash transfers to women.

In response to COVID-19, the government quickly implemented the Ehsaas Emergency Program me, under which low-income households gained access to financial assistance through text messages. In the first phase of this programme, 12 million families were provided with a monthly stipend of 12,000 PKR ($72). More recently, the programme has been extended to include 17 million families, around half of the total population of Pakistan.

The government has also made efforts to de-politicise poverty measures . There is great optimism that under the current government, the NSER survey, which will cover at least 27 million households, will be completed by 2021 and enable smart poverty targeting.

Is Pakistan still on track to achieve SDG1?

Even before the pandemic, Pakistan was categorised as being ‘off track’ to halve multidimensional poverty by 2030, and less likely to achieve SDG1 with current interventions. This has largely been due to inadequate policy responses from successive governments, despite some good progress on poverty alleviation in the early 2000s. The current government, however, has taken some steps in the right direction. While there is growing consensus on the benefits of a rapid policy response, there has historically been a lack of focus on more long-term sustainable efforts.

There is increasing evidence, across South Asia, that an ‘income-mediated’ approach to SDG1 will have limited success and more ‘expenditure led’ policies are required.  Looking ahead, well-informed income and poverty projections can provide a blueprint for more proactive, targeted and sustainable policies, with a focus on alleviating extreme poverty.

[1] Research by Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in collaboration with Oxfam.

[2] Instead of using the Food Energy Intake (FEI) approach, a Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) approach is now employed

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Essay on Poverty in Pakistan with Outline

• November 27, 2023

Kainat Shakeel

Poverty is a pervasive issue affecting millions of lives encyclopedically. In the environment of Pakistan, this socioeconomic challenge has been a longstanding concern that demands comprehensive disquisition and strategic interventions. 

Economic Challenges:

• Unemployment: One of the primary contributors to poverty in Pakistan is Unemployment. A significant portion of the population struggles to find stable employment, aggravating the fiscal rigors faced by numerous homes. 
• Low Agricultural Productivity: The agrarian sector, a vital part of Pakistan’s frugality, faces challenges similar to outdated husbandry practices and inadequate access to ultramodern technology. This results in lower productivity, affecting both growers and consumers. 
• Profitable inequality:  A widening gap between the rich and the poor composites the issue. profitable inequality hampers the distribution of coffers and openings, immortalizing the cycle of poverty. 

Social Impacts of Poverty:

• Lack of Access to Education: Poverty frequently deprives individuals of educational openings, limiting their eventuality for particular and professional growth. This lack of access perpetuates the cycle of poverty through generations. 
• Healthcare Challenges: Impoverished communities face shy healthcare services, leading to an advanced frequency of preventable conditions. The incapability to go to medical care further deepens the impact of poverty on health. 
• casing and Living Conditions: Poor living conditions, including shy casing and sanitation, pose significant challenges to those living in poverty. Addressing these issues is pivotal for breaking the cycle of poverty. 

Government Initiatives:

• Poverty Alleviation Programs: The government has enforced colorful poverty relief programs to address the issue. These enterprises aim to give fiscal support, education, and healthcare to vulnerable populations. 
• Social Welfare Initiatives: Social weal programs play a pivotal part in supporting marginalized communities. still, challenges in perpetration, similar to regulatory hurdles and corruption, hamper the effectiveness of this enterprise. 
• International Assistance in Combating Poverty: transnational associations contribute coffers and moxie to palliate poverty in Pakistan. Collaboration between original and global realities is essential for creating sustainable results. 

Cultural Factors:

• Impact of Cultural Morals on Poverty: Cultural morals can either immortalize or challenge the cycle of poverty. Examining and addressing artistic factors is pivotal for enforcing effective poverty reduction strategies. 
• Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Cultural Changes: Encouraging artistic shifts that prioritize education, gender equivalency, and community commission is essential for breaking the cycle of poverty. 
• Addressing pastoral Poverty: fastening agrarian development, structure advancements, and access to education can help palliate pastoral poverty, contributing to overall profitable growth. 

Technology and Poverty Alleviation:

• Technological inventions in Poverty Reduction: Advancements in technology, similar to mobile banking and digital communication, have the eventuality to hoist communities by furnishing access to fiscal services and information. 
• The part of Digital knowledge: Promoting digital knowledge is pivotal for ensuring that technological advancements profit all parts of society. Education in digital chops opens doors to profitable openings. 

Education as a Catalyst:

• Empowering Through Education: Investing in education is an important strategy for poverty reduction. Empowered individuals are better equipped to break free from the constraints of poverty. 
• Vocational Training and Skill Development: Beyond traditional education, vocational training, and skill development programs empower individuals to enter the pool with marketable chops. 

Women commission:

Empowering women is central to poverty reduction sweats. furnishing women with education, healthcare, and profitable openings appreciatively impacts families and communities. 

Public Mindfulness and Advocacy:

• The significance of Raising mindfulness: Creating mindfulness about the impact of poverty fosters a sense of responsibility and solidarity, encouraging collaborative sweat to address the issue. 
• Advocacy for Policy Changes: championing policy changes is essential for creating an enabling terrain that supports poverty reduction enterprise. 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, understanding and addressing poverty in Pakistan is a multifaceted approach. Economic, social, and artistic factors must be considered, with a focus on collaboration between the government, NGOs, and transnational mates. By empowering individualities, communities, and women

Kainat Shakeel is a versatile Content Writer Head and Digital Marketer with a keen understanding of tech news, digital market trends, fashion, technology, laws, and regulations. As a storyteller in the digital realm, she weaves narratives that bridge the gap between technology and human experiences. With a passion for staying at the forefront of industry trends, her blog is a curated space where the worlds of fashion, tech, and legal landscapes converge.

Who is poor in Pakistan today? Raising the basic standard of well-being in a changing society

Ghazala mansuri.

Over 80 percent of Pakistanis consistently report that their economic wellbeing has either deteriorated or remained the same. Only 20 percent, disproportionately concentrated in the very top of the distribution, feel that they are better off and similarly small numbers believe that economic conditions have improved for their locality. If we took a poll today, it is possible that many of you would say that extreme poverty has risen rather than fallen. But in fact, the national data tells a completely different story! According to the national poverty line set in 2001, Pakistan has seen an exceptional decline in poverty—falling from nearly 35 percent in 2001 to less than 10 percent by 2013-14.  Moreover, these gains were not concentrated among those close to the poverty line. Even the poorest 5 percent of the population saw an improvement in living standards.

The increase in incomes is also evident when looking at other indicators of wellbeing. Access to toilet facilities for instance, has significantly improved; Among the poorest 20 percent of households, those without any type of toilet has been cut in half—from close to 60% to about 30%, while the ownership of assets like motorcycles has risen from only 2% to 18%; and many more of the poorest households now have refrigerators, televisions and stoves.   Most importantly, households have changed their dietary patterns in ways that are consistent with poverty reduction. Even the least advantaged families in Pakistan have moved towards a more diverse diet, with a greater consumption of dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables. Not only has their diet become more diverse, households also spend a smaller fraction of their total income on food items, preferring instead to spend more on nonfood items such as housing, utilities, education, health care and consumer goods, including leisure goods.   So what accounts for the gap between people’s perceptions of rising poverty and the evidence presented above? Perhaps it is the relative lack of improvement in basic public services, or a perception that there is too much corruption, or that only the wealthy and connected can get good jobs or set up businesses. Perhaps there is a sense that the gap between the rich and poor is growing. All of these issues are undoubtedly important, and rightfully influence people’s perceptions about their wellbeing. At the same time, they do not preclude a decline in extreme poverty. Further, our collective sense that too many are poor may actually be linked to the pace to development itself. As societies develop, ideas about the absolute minimum acceptable standard of well-being also change. More precisely, with development, the minimum requirements for a productive life and personal dignity grow, and this changes a society’s views about who is poor. Few would argue that Pakistan is the same country today that it was 15 years ago. As development has occurred our standards for what is a bare minimum level of existence have also risen – and this is a good thing. To anchor this idea, ask yourself: what percentage of Pakistanis ought to be considered too poor (in today’s Pakistan), to afford the minimum standard of living necessary for a productive life and for personal safety and dignity? If your answer is anywhere between 25% and 35%, you are with the majority! Call the poverty rate obtained through such a question the socially subjective poverty rate for Pakistan. A national poverty line, and poverty rate, is clearly most useful for guiding policy when it is well-aligned with overall development and therefore also with the socially subjective notion of who is poor. In this sense, the poverty line is always a policy choice. All societies that aim to build democratic and inclusive policies must respond to development by periodically raising the standard of living for their most vulnerable members. In the (now) developed world, governments have intervened time and again to help ensure that the standard of living for the most deprived improves with development. The government’s decision to set a new poverty line for Pakistan is extremely encouraging in this context. It was also necessary given the robust decline in poverty based on the old line. The new line, which uses an improved methodology, sets a minimum consumption threshold of Rs. 3030 per person per month. This translates to between Rs. 18,000 and Rs. 21,000 per month for a household at the poverty line, allowing nearly 30% of the population or close to 60 million people to be targeted for pro-poor and inclusive development policies—thus setting a much higher bar for inclusive development.   Why Rs. 3030 per person per month? Well, while the analysis that produces a national poverty line is based on nationally representative household consumption data, and uses a rigorous and well established method, it does not uniquely determine a value for the line. Rather, it provides a range of options, all of which are compatible with the data, but only a few of which are also consistent with society’s understanding of who is most deprived at a point in time. Pakistan’s new national poverty line is highly policy-relevant precisely because it resonates with the socially subjective view of who is poor today. Pakistan now needs to build on this bold decision by taking equally bold steps to scale up its efforts on other fronts. Things have not improved on key issues like child stunting or schooling or jobs, which will determine what the country’s future looks like. The true fruits of poverty reduction will only be fully evident when the quality of public service delivery and the quality of governance rise to meet the growing needs of the population, and key services are accessible to all Pakistanis.

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Lead Economist, Poverty Reduction & Equity Group, World Bank

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Essay About Poverty In Pakistan

Prepare the Essay About Poverty In Pakistan  for class 10 and 11 Students: It was seen that at the time of the independence of Pakistan in 1947, our country inherited the backward parts of South Asia, we have only one university, we have one Textile Mill and only one Jute Factory but our per Capita GNP remains so far the highest in South Asia. But due to the Global financial crisis, the occupation of Afghanistan, they have impacted the Pakistani growth. The poverty rate in Pakistan has been historically higher in rural areas and it is lower in the cities. 30 million have been living in rural areas and poverty has risen sharply in the 1990s. It is According to the World Bank’s Poverty Head Count Analysis for the year of 2014 that if income per adult in Pakistan will be taken as $1.25 per day, then the 21.04% of the population actually lives below the poverty line and it is according to 2008 population estimates.

Essay About Poverty In Pakistan With Outlines

• Biotechnology Scope In Pakistan April 6, 2023

Causes Of Poverty in Pakistan:

• Lack Of Governance

Pakistan is run by military dictatorships for the large periods of its time, this led to rapid kind of policy changes. It is due to the Political instability, macroeconomic imbalances that they have been reflecting the poor! It is viewed that Pakistan’s major cities are home to 1.2 million street children that includes beggars and also scavengers. It is too due to the law and order problem which has worsened this condition. When the governance will run under the Islamic rules and regulations it will only be grown up respectively otherwise we are frequently going beneath a load of poor governance in each matter of life.

    2.  Feudal Culture

This is one of the biggest cause of poverty in Pakistan. It is a fact that Pakistan is home to a large kind of feudal landholding system. It is estimated that 51% of poor tenants actually owe money to the landlords, these landlords’ position allows them to exploit the resources of the poor. Our cultural influence was that to promote the betterment and to demolish the increasements, but the current situation is interrupting the creative minds and we are going back day by day in the race of poverty. We should cultivate the feudal culture from Pakistan so that we can utilize our abilities to overcome the mother of all the crimes poverty from Pakistan.

    3. Overpopulation

Yes of course! the overpopulation is also a big cause of poverty in Pakistan. It is because the rapidly increasing the number of population is rapidly decreasing the number of resources to meet the required ratio for the public around. Overpopulation invites numerous social evils such as the less number of jobs against the big number of applications. Similarly, more population requires more resources to manage them which directly and indirectly requires the money which is also causing the poverty in Pakistan.

    4. Corrupt Culture

The biggest example of corrupt culture is in front of us by the imprisonment of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif on state-level corruptions. No one knows the actual reality behind it but the bad effects are imprinting on the history of Pakistan which is pushing the nation in the darkness of poverty and lots of other living issues. It is this sad fact that our politicians fill up their pockets, they fill up their bank accounts with the budget, with that foreign aid dollars and do not give the poor their due share. We are requiring a pure leader and politician who just play for the betterment of Pakistan but not for his own.

   5. Low Literacy Rate

It is too because of the low literacy rate that our citizens of Pakistan have failed to stand on their feet, they could not get their education and in return, they fail to get know-how of any practical task. Education is costly for a job holding person to compete it. while the difference between English medium schools, Urdu medium schools, private and government schools is the actual reason behind this factor. If the government offers educations on free of cost for a job holder person then it will be easy for him to admit his child and long-running results will over root the low literacy rate and our motherland will grow up with the hands of youth.

How to Overcome Poverty In Pakistan:

In my essay about poverty in Pakistan, I think it will be an important part of the discussion if I share my ideas about the over the root of poverty effects. So in this way, I would like to say that the above main and the most effective causes of poverty should be eliminated simultaneously. The process will start from the upper level and that is our politicians and leaders. After that, the government should work under the rules of purity and devotions so that no one can go out of rules and regulations even he is a common person or a government officer. rules should be equal for all. Thirdly, the government has to pay special attention to education. If our child will be studied properly they will learn more and more and an educated person is always civilized and has better opportunities for doing work and earning money which is the primary part of demolishing the poverty from our country.

The government of Pakistan should now understand this saying that if you give a man a fish, he will eat that fish on that day only, but teaching him how to fish, he will keep on be eating that fish on every single day. We have to teach each of the citizens of Pakistan so that he may earn on his own.

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Poverty in Pakistan English Essay with Causes, Impacts and Solutions

Read and download this Poverty in Pakistan English Essay with Causes, Impacts and Solutions and impress your teachers.

Poverty in Pakistan Essay – Causes, Impacts and Solutions:

Poverty is a social problem of Pakistan with the fact that most of the people have limited economic resources and their standard of living is low. The people have been deprived of modern facilities in education, health, communication and good food. Such people are worried due to lack of income resources and they are unable to fulfill their needs’ to live a life parallel to their neighbored. In this age of competition they feel deprived of their rights and inferiority complex prevails upon them. They feel shy in sitting with the well off families. They are not given marital relations with well off people because they are disliked due to poverty.

These people are mostly illiterate and their friendship is with the people of same type.. That is why their standard of life does not rise without education and economic resources. Poverty itself is a social problem because the poor people are unable to follow the new trends and they fail to adopt new modes in social life.

Poverty is a social problem because they have failed to increase their income resources. Poverty, is called to be a social problem because these people lag behind the advancing people and do not understand the ways of progress:They are mostly frustrated when their needs of life are not fulfilled. In frustration they become aggressive and may commit such acts which are criminal in nature. Due to hatred by others they take reaction and get into criminal activities. They destroy the vehicles and property of rich people due to economic disparity. Sometimes a child of rich man is abducted. Sometimes his car is lifted and sometimes” a dacoity is put in his house. This leads to more heinous crime like murder on the rich man. In this way. poverty being a social problem creates other social problems of serious nature.

WHAT IS POVERTY

i. Bargata & Borgata define:

“the word Poverty is derived from French word Pauvre’, meaning poor. Material possession of having little or no more means to “support one self is called poverty”.

ii. Ian Robertson defines:

“Poverty is the inability to maintain minimal standards of food, clothing, shelter and health care”.

iii. Most comprehensive definition was given by Lewis: “poverty not only as economic deprivation, or’ the absence of something but also as a way of life, the” personal of sub-cultural values and attitudes passed down from generation to generation”.

WHO IS POOR?

According to World Bank, “a person earning less than one US dollar a day is called poor”. POVERTY AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM Poverty is a social problem because it gives birth to many Social problem which are given below:

• Poverty generates illiteracy and ignorance. Many children are unable to get education due to this problem. Millions of children every year prefer to earn instead of education because of economic problem.
• Terrorism is also a product of poverty Terrorists trap Young children and poor youths by giving lots of money and trained them to become terrorists to destabilize the country.
• Crime & Social evils: Crime and social evils are produced under the. umbrella of poverty. People Commit crime due to poverty. A lot of social evils are also produced because of it.
• Disturbs Economic and Social Growth: Poverty also hampers economic & social growth of country which disturbs the whole nation. So it is stated that poverty is a social problem and also is, a mother of many other social problems.

CAUSES OF POVERTY

There is a number of causes of poverty, which are given below:

i. lack of Getting Benefit with Natural Resources:

We are unable to get economic resources from the natural environment gifted by God to us. it is the land, hills, mountains, rivers and falls from which we Can get wealth by our technical skills. We can control and divert the waters flowing from mountains into dams from which power can be generated and the canals for irrigation.

ii. Avoid low Quality Work:

The people of our nation avoid hard work and labor. They, feel shy in working down in the street, and on the road. They think themselves to be respectable by not working in labor but wearing a dress clean and tidy. This concept of respect and prestige puts them into dingy house, dirty places to live and low standard food to eat with missing facilities of sanitation in their residential areas.

iii. lack of Hard Work leads to drug addiction:

Such people who avoid hard work lead a life of poor man and mostly indulge in drug addiction. They get into heroine, churs and other things of abuse. The prohibited acts get into their habits and they involve in delinquent activities, which leads to criminal actions in life.

vi. Anti Social Habits:

Jobless and workless people also fall into such habits, which are anti social like, ‘gambling, drinking, cheating, theft and robbery. Such people feel themselves satisfied in associates of these types. They remain satisfied and get things stolen from house for fulfillment of their needs. Smoking and telling a lie are bad habit develop in general behavior of such workless adults. They are idle and useless persons hated by good citizens.

v. Lack of Religious Education:

They avoid getting into religious education and hate moral and cultural values of Islam. They disobey their parents and elders of family. They walk late at night out of home in company of associates of such habits.. Ultimately they become criminals in adult life.

vi. Wastage of Economic Resources:

Another cause of poverty is wasting the economic resources. If the savings are not protected the family faces problems in future. Ill health and other necessities of food and dress require money from saving. If saving is poor, then these problems create heavy tension and disturbance on the members of family.

vii. Unemployment:

Unemployment is the most important cause of poverty. Those young men, who are unable to get jobs can do works of low standards available to them. They can work in farms. They can work in factories and In business centers at low wages. They feel shy to do so and consider these jobs to the below standards. In such cases, unemployment is self created by them, because our culture is simple and non-technical. Employment chances are few for a large number of people. Therefore, unemployment cannot be blamed as main cause of poverty. We can choose other works on construction of buildings, on shoe mending, working with tailors and carpenters, electrical works and works of techniques on machines. There are mechanical works available frequently around us in which job can be taken according to the Wishes of the owner. This minimum and 10w wage also provides a back ground and foot step towards progress of the future.

viii. Blame on Fate/Wrong Perceptive of Tawakal:

Some people believe that it is the fate1 which is, responsible for our Poverty. No doubt it is true but the basic factor according to sharait of Islam is work and hard work. According to a Hadith of Holy Prophet (peace he upon) “one Should adopt any profession for earning his livelihood. Here adoption of profession has not been said as the only principle. He must be expert and highly qualified and trained in his profession that his work is free from mistake”. We see today the western countries are followers of this a Hadith and we go there for higher education, medical treatment and for equipment and machinery because they are expert of all these productions. This hadith as narrated by Imam Ghazali in his book “Kemya-e-Saadat”, the great imam of the time said that Muslims take wrong meaning of “Twakkal”, that is why they remain poor. It does not mean to wait for better results Without works. He says that work is basic foundation for the result of success.

ix. Wrong Religious Beliefs:

Some people have wrong religious beliefs in future events of life. They say that Allah will forgive all Sinners by virtue of His mercy. This is wrong interpreted because Allah presented a principle of judgment between right and wrong on the Day of Judgment. Every good and bad event will be measured on the scale and man will be rewarded or punished accordingly. He can do mercy upon any one whom He likes, but this is not general principle for all. Those who believe in this authority of Allah, are misguided persons. Because Allah said that He does not deviate from His principles laid down by Him in the Holy Quran and this principle has been described by Shah Wali Ullah Mohadith Dahlvi in his book “Hujja-TulIah-hu-Balgha”.

• Control on wastage of resources must be made for the preservation of resources of the people.
• Technical and non technical training to be provided to those people who are without work.

x. Illiteracy:

Illiteracy is also a major reason of poverty as illiterate person possesses less potential and skills. He is not well groomed and trained for getting better economic and social status in society or a higher and prestigious job. Therefore, he is trapped in the net of poverty forever.

xi. Ignorance:

Ignorance is also one of the main reason of poverty where people have better economic resources are victimize of this cause. As people of the rural areas of Pakistan sell their acres and spend the whole life and money in judicial proceeding with their neighbor or Counterpart Without knowing and calculating the losses and benefits.

IMPACTS OF POVERTY

I. Caused crime:

When resources are not enough to meet the basic needs of life, people sometimes do not abide by the law and commit crime. Due to poverty, economic crimes are committed in society such as robbery, dacoit, kidnapping etc.

ii. Beggary:

Poverty creates beggars in Society. Most of the beggars in society are begging ,due to poverty not due to cultural constraints. This includes deaf, dumb, disabled, old aged, children, widows etc.

iii. Social evils:

Poverty cerates social evils in society. Due to this, people are unable to follow the norms and values of society. In result they become the victim of social evils.

iv. Drug addiction:

Generally, poor are the victims of addiction like, heroin, alcohol, marijuana etc. These kinds of people are usually found on the foot path of the roads in unconscious state. They even some times are unable to tell their name and whereabouts.

v. Violation of values and norms:

Poor generally are unable to follow the norms and values of society, hence they violate for the sake of money, food and shelter.

vi. Low quality of life:

Poor enjoy low quality of life in every walk of life. They are unable to get better education, avail better health facility, live in better place and house, and eat better, delicious and hygienic food. Hence there quality of life is very poor.

vii. Ill health:

Poverty negatively strikes on the health of the poor. It is observed that poor do not enjoy better health. They are the victim of epidemics like malaria, cholera, gestro and other sever diseases

viii. Low social status:

Due to above mentioned consequences and impacts of Poverty; poor people do not enjoy better social status in society. They are considered at the lower bottom of society.

SOLUTION OF POVERTY

Following are the solutions of poverty.

i. Elimination of unemployment:

People should be given It should be effort of the government that no one should remain unemployed. At least, every one should earn and meet own expenses of life.

ii. Persuasion for Labor and hard work:

Unemployment should be converted into employment and hardworking. For this purpose, people who do not want to do. menial work should be persuaded and given incentives to do all kinds of job.

iii. Technical education to beggar:

Those who are poor and beggar may be given technical education. In this way, their potential will be utilized in a better way. For this purpose, special technical training institutes for the beggars may be started in every big city of the country.

iv. Promotes culture of saving:

Our society is lack in saving and people use to spend more than their income. This kind of attitude is one of the major factors of under growth and poverty. People should be given incentives and motivated to save more for the coming generation. This kind of culture may be promoted.

v. Technical and semi technical education:

People should be given technical and semi technical education. This kind of education may be extended up to the rural areas because incidence of poverty is more in rural areas than the urban areas. Finial assistance may also be given to such kinds of people.

vi. Promotion of education:

Importance and benefits of the education and literacy may be conveyed to the people because education enables individuals to get better jobs in society. A special effort may be started for the rural areas because illiteracy is more in rural areas.

vii. Women empowerment:

Women are the fifty percent of the population. Very little chunk of the women of our society are well educated and doing job. They should be given technical and vocational skills, so that they could start some work at their home. In this Way, they will remain in the house and productively utilize their free time.

Viii: Improved agriculture:

68% of the total population lives rural areas Most of them are attached with the agriculture. I agriculture is enhanced.and made more profitable business, positive impacts on the poverty reduction can be observed. Therefore, agriculture may be improve.d by introducing new technology, seeds, pesticides and other agricultural inputs. Problems related with agriculture may also be addressed on priority basis.

ix. Better infrastructure:

Status of infrastructure may also be improved. New roads, bridges, Water supply schemes and health facilities should be constructed up to the remote areas of the country. Farm to market road may also be constructed on emergency basis because Pakistan is an agricultural country. 1t is need of the time that farms should be well connected to the market.

x. Extension of micro credit:

Already a number of micro credit organizations and banks like Puhjab Rural Support Program (PRSP), National Rural support Program (NRSP), Khushhali bank and first micro credit bank are giving small, credit to the poor people to start business or enterprise. This kind of services should be extended up to the remote rural areas of Pakistan..

xi. Reduce population growth rate:

The most important step is to reduce population growth. There should be harmony between economic growth and population growth. Without stooping it, every step taken to reduce poverty will be futile. So this hold be given due importance.

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Home > Books > Poverty, Inequality and Policy

Poverty and Its Alleviation: The Case of Pakistan

Submitted: 20 October 2016 Reviewed: 03 April 2017 Published: 04 October 2017

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.68960

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This chapter aims to look at the current status of poverty and existing social policies in Pakistan. Poverty is one of the concerns for the governments of almost all countries including Pakistan. There is a continuous research on the policy measurements by national and international organizations in Pakistan, which demonstrated the decline in poverty. The government has launched many social policies in the past three decades to help the nation in reducing the poverty. Apart from government, many national and international organizations have also contributed a lot in the effort of reducing the poverty. However, there is very little research available on the effectiveness of these social policies, and on the need of social policy areas in particular. Disparity among the urban and rural population is another important factor, which has been discussed in almost every research on poverty. Still, very few social policies in Pakistan are focusing on rural population. Therefore, the issue of social policy needs fresh exploration in the country, which is necessary to make new social policies that can benefit all citizens.

• poverty alleviation
• economic development
• gender inequality
• inclusive social policy
• poverty trap

Author Information

Muhammad azeem ashraf *.

• Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, China

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

It is a concern of every government to respond to the necessities of equality legislation. Approaches, obstacles, and practices of judgment are some simple values that respond universally, rather than individually. Cultural and systemic change at policy and practice levels is very important to develop an inclusive culture [ 1 ]. Accordingly, developing a social policy does not provide the desired outcomes until it has been offered with the best environment and ground support, for these policies to be implemented. The notion of poverty is not new in Pakistan as many studies have been conducted at both national (Government of Pakistan; Pakistan Institute of Development Economics) and international institutions (World Bank; United Nations). Most of these studies used household surveys based on consumption model to calculate the severity of poverty at national and provincial levels.

In contexts of Pakistan, poverty has always been higher in rural than urban areas. Pakistan has shown a decline in the poverty during 1970s and 1980s, but the trend reversed in the 1990s. Poverty rose more sharply in the rural areas in the 1990s, and the incidence of rural poverty was significantly higher than urban poverty [ 2 ]. Inequality in both urban and rural areas also increased in Pakistan during the 1990s, which enhanced the negative impact on poverty. Although agriculture is the main activity in rural society, a significant percentage of the rural labor force, estimated at more than 40%, depends completely on nonfarm activities. The development of nonfarm activities appears to have been severely affected by low economic growth, weakening in public sector development expenditure, and lower worker remittances during the 1990s.

Social policies of some kind have been applied in Pakistan. It is their significance to additional social and human development, which tends to differ. However, social policies are often not conceptualized as social policies in the development context, but rather dealt with, in a broader concept of social development or in the context of poverty reduction strategies. The aim of this chapter is to examine what kind of social policies represent social benefits and what is their relation to social development. In the area of social policies, it is further concerned about social services, such as education and health services. Thus, this chapter examines the case of poverty in Pakistan, the government’s efforts for reducing poverty, and the need to improve the social policy structure in the country.

In this regard, institutions that certainly affect individual preferences are considered. Regions with low poverty are the essential determinants of social policies as well as political struggles. Looking at the diagram of Pakistan, institutional structures are constructing individual preferences. Institutions are trying to work together in order to provide future protection to their employees, but it divided the social structure. Therefore, the state employees or employees belonging to social schemes may have future protection. However, workers in rural or agricultural fields who do not meet the criteria to join social schemes do not have future protection.

2. Poverty in Pakistan: statistics and facts

2.1. calculating poverty.

Calculating a poverty line grounded on some lowest standard level of consumption and assessing the proportion of population below that line, are the most frequently used standard for the measurement of income or consumption‐related poverty. However, Planning Commission of Pakistan has recommended an official poverty line in 2000, after 53 years of its independence. According to the definition of Planning Commission, the official poverty line for Pakistan will be estimated on 2350 calories per adult equivalent per day. This is based on an adult equivalent intake of 2150 calories in the urban areas and 2450 calories in the rural areas. Recent trends of poverty in Pakistan are being presented in Table 1 .

Table 1.

Trends in poverty, based on different studies.

The above data illustrate that the incidence of poverty is not constant. There is a persistent decline in poverty based on official poverty evaluation since 2000–2001. There was an elevation in poverty during 1987–1988 to 1998–1999. It was still nearby in 2001–2002 (34.5%). But, it was followed by sudden decline of more than 10% in 2004–2005. Following years from 2004 to 2011 indicates further decline in poverty. Nevertheless, this trend of fast decreasing in poverty has not only created a huge disturbance in the media, but also among development authorities and civil society [ 11 ]. But, these trends obtained a support from independent evaluation by the World Bank, which revised the trends in poverty and accepted the decline in poverty [ 10 ].

2.2. Human development index

According to a recent global survey [ 12 ], Pakistan is ranked at 147 out of 188 countries in 2014, which is very low in term of human development, and also lower than neighboring countries like India (130), Bangladesh (142), Iran (69), and Sri Lanka (73). Pakistan scored 0.538 points on human development index (HDI) of 2014, which showed improvement of 0.002 points from previous year, but did not change the overall ranking. Recent trends of HDI in Pakistan are presented in Table 2 .

Table 2.

Trends in human development index.

The trends in HDI show a continuous increase in points from 1980 to 2014. However, the ranking of Pakistan remains in very low human development index countries.

Access to education is still a major challenge to Pakistan. Even though enrollment rates for primary school have increased in the past, these are still very low compared to universal values, and also lower than other low‐income countries. Similar to poverty, there are major regional, rural‐urban and gender disparities. A recent research has shown a relationship between literacy rate and poverty by calculating four indicators (literacy of household heads, their educational attainment, the presence of a literate woman in a household, and highest qualification in a household) [ 14 ]. This study showed that families with higher education levels are less exposed to poverty. For example, in Punjab province, poverty was three and half times higher in families headed by an illiterate person than families headed by literate persons. In Sindh province, 55% of poor families were headed by illiterate persons compared to 27% of poor families headed by literate persons.

Health situation and access to health services are other major challenges to Pakistan. All indicators stay at low levels except immunization rate, which points out reduced development. It could be due to very low public spending on health (0.3% of GDP), comparing with regional (0.9% in South Asia) and low‐income countries (1.6%). Similarly, infant mortality rate and life expectancy are very low [ 10 ].

Gender inequality is another issue which poses a major challenge to Pakistan. Female literacy rates remain low at 42%. Health status of women is also worse than men, and it is affected by the lack of information, mobility, and social norms. The idea of gender includes our hope about the characteristics, approaches, and behavior of women and men, and is vital in facilitating gender analysis. Majority of the females are earning less monthly income as compared to males in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Majority of the female in rural and urban areas of Pakistan belongs to low‐income groups [ 15 ]. So, there is a clear indication that feminization of poverty or gender inequality exists in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan.

2.3. Regional disparity

Regional disparity among rural and urban areas is well seen in Pakistan. The higher rate of increase in poverty in the rural areas has prompted debate on growth and productivity trends in the agriculture sector. Recent trends of poverty in rural and urban regions are being presented in Table 3 .

Table 3.

Trends in urban and rural poverty, based on different studies.

It is very clear from the above table that there is a huge disparity between urban and rural poverty. Even though both rural and urban poverty decline with every passing year, the decline in urban poverty is greater than rural poverty. Similarly, a research had established an outline that concentration of chronic poverty is found in rural areas of the country [ 20 ]. However, different poverty lines have been debated in recent research that has put the urban poverty figure on the higher side.

However, the comparison of poverty levels among agroclimatic zones is very important in poverty studies [ 21 , 22 ]. Another research exposed the difference of poverty among agricultural and other zones of the country [ 14 ]. In this research, it is confirmed that the barani 1 zone has lowest poverty rate compared to other regions of country. Rawalpindi division has less poverty because of job opportunities in Islamabad capital, armed forces, overseas migration, and strong rural‐urban linkages. However, poverty is relatively higher in Southern Punjab (cotton‐wheat zone) and Sindh than other zones of these provinces. There is a very important factor that can be drawn from the regional difference among agricultural and nonagricultural regions in the Punjab province. Northern Punjab, which has the lowest level of poverty in the country, is agriculturally poor region with the lowest cultivated area per capita, and no irrigation. On the other hand, Southern Punjab, despite its highest cultivated area per capita and 100% irrigation, is one of the poorest regions in the country.

3. Government efforts to reduce poverty

Pakistan does not have any general or universal social protection system that covers all of its population. It does not even have an umbrella institution that would extend social protection and social safety nets to the poor. However, a number of programs targeted at improving governance and responsibility of public institutions to be able to better respond to the needs of the poor, assisting them economically by creating income and employment opportunities, and improving their access to basic services are being implemented by the government, NGOs, and the private sector. Each of these sectors operates in a distinct manner as discussed in this section.

3.1. Governmental reforms

The Decentralization Plan revealed in March 2000, is an essential governance reform that targets to replace the existing highly centralized and control oriented government with a three‐tier local government system that institutes “people‐centered, rights and responsibility‐based, and service oriented” government structures. The important poverty determined facilities, such as health and education, have been transferred to district and lower local governments under this strategy. Provinces, once mainly responsible for the provision of services, assumed new responsibilities to support and supervise the performance of local governments, not as administrative members of the provincial administration, but as independent corporate bodies accountable to the electorate through political leaders.

Numerous civil service reforms have been implemented by the government to improve public sector and make it more accountable and approachable to the citizens. The issue of improving the financial management system in the country has received particular attention. Microfinance is another step that government took to provide basic support to the poor. Khushhali Bank was established in 2000 with the support of Asian Development Bank. The main aim of this bank was to benefit the poor through income generating activities, to establish small‐scale enterprises and small infrastructure ventures. Within first 2 years of its establishment, the bank had distributed an amount of Rs. 100 million to 15,000 beneficiaries, while 30% of the bank’s borrowers were women. This bank also supported social mobilization activities within poor communities and development of infrastructures such as water channels and link roads in the neglected rural areas.

Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) was founded in 1997 by the government to help poor through loans. Now, it works with the World Bank, to increase the access of poor and microenterprises to credit facilities. Policy guidelines for PPAF are provided by the board of directors, which contains three members from the government and nine members from the civil society. PPAF works as a supplier that distributes its credit through fellow organizations mainly nonprofit organizations. However, the effectiveness of PPAF in this regard has not been officially measured since 1997. So, the policymakers and researchers could not evaluate its benefits to poor.

The Zakat and Ushr Department was established in 1980, which was based on Islamic traditions in which rich people should pay a specific amount at the rate of 2.5% on their wealth to the poor. Zakat is imposed on different assets such as saving bank accounts, fixed deposits saving certificates, mutual funds, government securities on which return is paid and life insurance policies. Banks, companies, and financial institutions that operate these assets deduct Zakat. This deducted amount of Zakat transfers into Central Zakat Fund at State Bank of Pakistan. Central Zakat Fund transfers funds to Provincial Zakat Fund, which further transfers it to District Zakat Committee, based on population basis. Each District Zakat Committee further transfers funds to Local Zakat Committee at village, Mohalla (street or small towns), and other organizations such as Deeni Madaris (religious schools), government educational institutions, and vocational training institutes.

Pakistan Bait‐ul‐Mal (PBM) was set up as an autonomous corporate body in 1992. PBM was established to work for poverty alleviation through its focus on widows, orphans, disabled, needy, and poor people irrespective of sex, caste, creed, or religion. It provides educational assistance, residential accommodation and necessary facilities, free medical treatment, and promote self‐employment schemes. Federal government is the main financing source of PBM but it also receives small grants from the Zakat funds as well as from provincial and local governments.

3.2. Social security schemes

The Social Security Scheme for Employees was first introduced in March 1967. It was the first formal initiative to provide social security to the state employees. Originally, this scheme particularly covered workers in the textile industry with the objective of providing protection against possibilities of illness, maternity, work‐related injury, invalidity, and death. The coverage of the scheme was expanded in 1969, which also included workers from commercial and other industrial establishments having ten or more employees.

The Workers Welfare Fund Scheme and the Worker’s Children Education Ordinance were initiated during the early 1970s. These schemes provide education, matrimonial and housing related benefits to workers in the formal sector. The Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) was established in the year of 1976 as a federal scheme to provide old age benefits, invalidity and survivor’s pensions as well as old age grants to those eligible. It covers formal sector establishments, employing ten or more workers.

Nevertheless, none of these schemes cover workers from the agriculture region, the informal economy and those in the formal sector who are either employed temporarily or through contractors or are employed in companies with less than ten workers.

3.3. Role of NGOs and civil society

There is a close connection between NGOs, civil society, and democracy in any country. In this connection, NGOs are part of civil society that strengthens the society through activities. This process, in turn, supports the democratic development. Civil society and nonprofit sector have appeared as a significant performer on the development aspect in Pakistan, particularly in the last two to three decades. The development of NGOs and civil society as an active development entity is widely seen as a response to the failure of the state in providing successful and well‐organized basic social services, and in its overall suppression. Most of the NGOs are working with partner organization at grassroots level for poor and marginalized groups.

However, the exact extents of the nonprofit sector in Pakistan are not known because of multiple laws under which NGOs and civil society organizations can be registered with no centralized system of recordkeeping in government agencies, and also because many organizations are not registered with any agency. For example, in order to be registered, NGOs in Pakistan can opt between five different legal frameworks.

Civil society has considerably progressed in past few decades. It is flourishing in Pakistan with the recent development of technology, geopolitics, and markets. This development stimulates the construction of many civil society organizations, giving rise to exciting representation of citizens at both online and offline platforms.

There are different types of NGOs, which are associated with different types of social services. Welfare‐oriented NGOs are primarily philanthropic institutions working with vulnerable groups. Edhi Welfare Trust is the best example for this type of category. It operates a countrywide network of relief services such as ambulance, old houses, orphanage houses, women shelter houses, poor feeding houses, and its work has been recognized internationally.

Social sector, NGOs, and other civil society organizations are mainly focusing on social development limited to health or education. Agha Khan University health program is one best example, providing health and education services to poor. Numerous NGOs are employing cohesive rural and urban development programs in different parts of the country and provide a range of development services. Most of these have adopted a participatory approach and work closely with local communities.

3.4. Benazir income support program (BISP)

Benazir Income Support Program is considered an important public scheme to support poor families in all parts of the country. It was launched in 2008 as a social safety net platform aiming to increase the living standards of the poor and controlling the negative effects of slow economic growth, food crisis and inflation of the poor (predominantly women). It was started with the goal of providing money to poor families, which would help them to buy basic needs of life such as food and house expenditures. This program is very significant support of government’s development program on poverty eradication and women empowerment. Government of Pakistan has continuously increased the allocation of funds for BISP since its formation.

To allocate the poor people, BISP developed a better research design and data collection method. In the opening year, members of National Assembly (MNAs) were given the task to supervise the allocation of poor in their respective areas. However, later on, it was substituted by a Poverty Scorecard (PSC) constructed on a Proxy Means Test (PMT) applied on household census data. PMT consists of 23 variables and uses poverty characteristics such as number of assets, education level of household head and the number of dependents, to identify the poor [ 24 ]. It has identified 7.5 million families that are eligible for support fund. However, 4.6 million eligible families are already receiving support funds, which comprise of 17% of the total population. Eligible families were receiving a cash amount of 1000 Pakistan rupees per month in 2012, and the amount is expected to increase in the next years.

4. The need for improved social policy structure

The literature on poverty and poverty alleviation in Pakistan used comprehensive approaches to measure the level of poverty and poverty alleviation. Key initiatives, including government reforms mentioned earlier, reflect this comprehensive approach. The recent findings of international institutions such as the World Bank or the UN have confirmed a relative success in the Pakistan’s recent efforts to reduce poverty [ 10 , 12 , 13 ]. However, this comprehensive approach needs appreciation, but it also needs evaluation because there are gaps that still exist in the poverty literature in the country. Schemes that can be found in literature on poverty are mostly related to income‐based poverty or to economic wellbeing. Therefore, there is a gap among the overall objectives of these policies and their interventions. A comprehensive approach of poverty and poverty alleviation agendas should take into consideration some other dimensions such as gender equality, women’s empowerment, human rights and inclusive social policy.

The role that the state plays in poverty alleviation is determinant for two main reasons. First, it is widely recognized that decentralization of power favors an increase of effectiveness of antipoverty efforts. Second, one‐size‐fits‐all (or a national) approach in eradicating poverty tends to increase regional inequalities because poverty is not evenly distributed across the country. Therefore, in order to have better outcomes in poverty alleviation, the government should consider a more contextual approach in designing antipoverty policies for different regions in Pakistan.

In the scenario, poverty is not evenly distributed across the country of Pakistan. At the county level of accumulation, poverty is overwhelmingly a rural problem, with the most remote rural places at the greatest disadvantage. Thus, the country should focus more on the reasons for poverty instead of personal choices of favoritism.

On the other hand, the government has also tried to implement economic policy to reduce the poverty. Nevertheless, economic policy is different from social policy in some patterns. First, social policy identifies that social and political structure in which people live. It also determines the physical and economic environment for wellbeing of people. It recognizes the significance of the organization and institutional context within which people exist. Second, it identifies the significance of the poor’s own awareness of poverty and the context of their specific identification of priorities. It is an ambiguous concept of poverty in which policy makers and rich assume that they know what poor people want and need. Other characteristics are often neglected except measuring underlining income and consumption. Whereas being poor has various criteria and it is often a mystery that divides them into categories and identifies what do poor need, instead of realizing the real need for poor.

As poverty is more prevalent in rural than urban areas, it calls for special attention from the state toward rural areas. Social policy also appears to face additional barriers to effectiveness in rural areas. A study on the effects of the changes in social policy on employment and poverty among rural and urban female‐headed households determined that rural and urban areas differ in personal characteristics of the population, local labor market environments, work barriers, or availability of services that make it more difficult for the social policy changes to move single mothers in rural areas into employment and out of poverty [ 25 ].

5. Conclusion and future strategies

Even if some progress has been made in terms of poverty alleviation, the government’s policies have had a marginal success, especially in rural areas. Rural areas are suffering from more poverty than urban areas; therefore, the government should give priority to rural areas to reduce poverty. The government must follow a long‐term economic plan by considering the fast‐changing demographic and economic trends. At this level, Pakistan should pay more attention to the quality of poverty instead of quantity. There are four comprehensive plans and supplementary policies that states might follow in reducing poverty, particularly in rural areas. In addition to these strategies, further research is required on the features of poverty.

5.1. Provision of local economic development

Different studies (for example, see Ref. [ 26 ]) had mentioned that income subsidies, tax credits, and low‐income loans to employers are incentives that policymakers might think for disadvantaged rural areas. Such tools can act as incentives for employers to expand their business, create new jobs, hire low and semiskilled workers, and offer services like onsite childcare and van shuttles. Another research argues for regional cooperation and for including poverty and underdevelopment among the explicit criteria to retarget economic development funds to places most in need [ 27 ].

This condition requires the development of local economic structure that not only benefits local communities but also helps national economic development. The biggest criticism to this model is that local governments does not have satisfactory human, financial, and logistic resources. In addition to this, administrative staff at local government lacks basic technical and managerial skills. This criticism does not provide enough strength to national or provincial government in order to transfer power to local governments. However, training and support should be provided to local governments and their staff instead of forbidding them. Because central governments at national and provincial levels are unlikely to have the capacity to assess the diversity of local conditions or local requirements and capabilities, their staff is possibly more trained and skilled, but also more remote and far away from local conditions.

Therefore, Pakistan needs a local economic development that offers opportunities for local governments, private sector, NGOs, and civil society to work together to improve the local economy. This development centers on improving effectiveness, increasing sustainable growth, and confirming the inclusive growth. The practice of local economic development ought to be assumed at different geographic measures. This development model provides better opportunities to local communities for economic development compared to national economic model.

5.2. Construct community capability and institutions

Policies to reduce poverty would have to focus on establishing the right circumstances for new industry masses to develop. The key conditions are the institutions that advocate knowledge formation, a business culture that supports entrepreneurship, institutions of higher education such as rural community colleges. As some studies (for example, see Ref. [ 28 ]) proposed in the American context, the evidence from workforce development evaluations suggests that institutional collaborations, for example, the participation of business and community colleges in workforce investment initiatives can improve employment outcomes for low‐income workers. Therefore, institutions in domestic region not only provide new facilities and jobs but also engage the local community to improve local situations.

Furthermore, if we consider the policies that inspire new concepts of economic development, then we cannot ignore the necessity of local institutions and their role in the local development. This objective can be achieved only by cheering the communicative and dialogic exchange among different stakeholders at both, national and local levels. Therefore, the relationship among local authorities, economic divisions, and citizens could redefine the reasons and effects of poverty, as well as strategies to reduce poverty. Consequently, institutions would not only provide opportunities for work, but they will start the movement to stimulate the local communities.

Social and institutional contribution may look complex because of the different levels of contributions among local actors. However, it will change the behavior and feelings of citizens to be part of local development. Their active participation definitely helps their communities to escape the poverty trap.

5.3. Improve workers’ productivity

Development of education and workforce has been seen to have important beneficial effects on earning capacity. A review of policy evaluation for workforce development in low‐income workers concluded that education and job training are the most successful ways to help local communities to improve social conditions [ 29 ].

Occupational health and safety is a major factor for improving workers’ productivity, especially in developing countries like Pakistan that are lagging far behind in health conditions. Common features that may decrease the health safety and workers’ productivity are inappropriate workplace design, weak structured jobs, mismatch between worker abilities and job demands, and poor capital‐labor ratio. Most of these factors are not directly connected to poverty; however, these are connected indirectly by means of workers’ productivity. Therefore, it has direct or indirect effects on the overall performance of country’s profile for poverty alleviation. Thus, the government should make an effort to improve worker productivity through education and training.

A recent study (for example, see Ref. [ 30 ]) develops some policy recommendations through production jobs to reduce poverty. This research reviews the literature on poverty and growth, and suggested to set up capable institutions for productive jobs that will ultimate help to reduce poverty. Market, organizations, and government are three main institutions that are essential for development. Market is spontaneous where firms provide best practices and productive jobs to the poor areas and the government’s role is to establish a correct governing agenda for business development.

5.4. Social security for workers in rural area

As in Pakistan, social security is only serving the workers of public sector and only in urban areas. Thus, government must construct a social security policy for workers in rural areas that provides safety at their retirement age, like governments employees. Provision of social security not only reduces the dependability of old people on their children but also helps to reduce poverty by providing enough funds to old people to look after themselves. BISPK is a first step toward social security for low‐income families across the country. However, it does not cover the elderly population who claims to be in retirement age. Poverty in rural areas is different from poverty in urban areas and vice versa. Similarly, causes of poverty are also different in both areas. The biggest cause of rural poverty is lack of social security for workers, because most workers depend on their daily or monthly wages which contribute to their current life that does not provide security for the future. Therefore, initiatives should have been taken to provide social security to every citizen including private and rural workers.

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• 24. BISP Final Report. Benazir Income Support Programme. Targeting Process Evaluation (Clusters A & B).. London: ICF GHK; 2013
• 25. Weber B, Edwards M, Duncan G. Single mother work and poverty under welfare reform: Are policy impacts different in rural areas? Eastern Economic Journal. 2004;30(1):31–51
• 26. Meckstroth A, Burwick A, Ponza M, Marsh S, Novak T, Phillips S, et al. Paths to work in rural places: Key findings and lessons from the impact evaluation of the future steps rural welfare‐to‐work program. final report. Mathematica Policy Research Reports. 2007;2(1):141
• 27. Jensen L. At the razor’s edge: Building hope for America’s rural poor. Rural Realities. 2006;1(1):1–8
• 28. Hamilton G. Moving people from welfare to work: Lessons from the national evaluation of welfare‐to‐work strategies. New York: The Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC). 2002
• 29. Holzer HJ, Martinson K. Can we improve job retention and advancement among low‐income working parents? Institute for Research on Poverty. 2005; Discussion Paper No 1307–05
• 30. Klein M. Ways out of poverty: Diffusing best practices and creating capabilities—Perspectives on policies for poverty reduction. Policy Research Working Paper. 2003; 155–185
• The nine zones are barani Punjab, mixed Punjab, low intensity Punjab, cotton-wheat Punjab, rice-wheat Punjab, cotton-wheat Sindh, rice-wheat Sindh, KP (except D. I. Khan) and Balochistan (except Nasirabad) [13, 23].

© 2017 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Presentation on “Poverty in Pakistan: What We Know and What We Need to Know” by Dr. Moritz Meyer, Senior Economist, World Bank and Coordinator, World Bank Poverty Assessment Report Pakistan at GIDS on 25th November 2021

Dr. Moritz Meyer, Senior Economist, World Bank visited the Graduate Institute of Development Studies (GIDS), Lahore School of Economics on 25th November 2021.

He presented the current patterns and trends of monetary and non-monetary household welfare of Pakistan. He highlighted that while there has been an overall substantial decline in poverty between 2001 and 2018, large disparities in living standards remain when observed at provincial and district level. The divide between rural and urban areas is also significant.

His presentation included the impact of Covid-19 on poverty; he mentioned that projected estimates suggest a reversal and increase in poverty trends in the country but the actual impact on household welfare remains unclear. With persistently poor health and educational outcomes and limited progress made in the area, the pandemic is expected to have exacerbated the human capital gap. Adding on, he also brought in the discussion the aspect of gender inequality in the labour market of Pakistan.

From policy perspective, he discussed the role of taxes and transfers on poverty and inequality, as well as the vulnerability of the poor households to natural disasters arising from climate change.

After his presentation he met with Dr Rashid Amjad, Director GIDS and the faculty. He expressed a desire for future collaboration between World Bank, Pakistan Office and the GIDS.

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Monday 27 February 2017

Poverty in pakistan english essay - causes, impacts and solutions.

WHAT IS POVERTY

Who is poor, poverty as a social problem, causes of poverty, i. lack of getting benefit with natural resources: , ii. avoid low quality work: , iii. lack of hard work leads to drug addiction: , vi. anti social habits: , v. lack of religious education: , vi. wastage of economic resources: , vii. unemployment: , viii. blame on fate/wrong perceptive of tawakal: , ix. wrong religious beliefs: , x. illiteracy: , xi. ignorance: , impacts of poverty, solution of poverty, i. elimination of unemployment:, ii. persuasion for labor and hard work: , iii. technical education to beggar: , iv. promotes culture of saving: , v. technical and semi technical education: , vi promotion of education: , vii. women empowerment: , viii: improved agriculture: , ix. better infrastructure: , x. extension of micro credit: , xi. reduce population growth rate: , you may also like:.

About Maher Afrasiab

Hello, I am Maher Afrasiab a founder of Ratta.pk and some other websites. I have created ratta.pk to promote the eductaion in Pakistan. And to help the students in their studies. Find me on Facebook: @Maher Afrasiab

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Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Begging / Poverty In Pakistan: Contributing Factors And Possible Solutions

Poverty In Pakistan: Contributing Factors And Possible Solutions

• Category: Social Issues , World
• Topic: Begging , Inequality , Pakistan

Pages: 4 (1684 words)

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Types of Poverty

Absolute poverty: “it refers to the state of severe deprivation of basic human needs. ”, relative poverty: “it is defined contextually as economic inequality in location or society in which people live”., voluntary poverty., causes of poverty in pakistan, reduction strategies in pakistan, pakistan government adopt that strategies or companies.

• Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
• Emergency Relief Packages
• Health insurance.
• Peoples Work Program (PWP)
• Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM).
• Employees Old Age Benefits institution (EOBI).

Solutions to Poverty in Pakistan

• The full equality between men and women in public as well as private areas of life, a worldwide minimum wage of $20 per day and the end of child labor under the age of 16 with the creation of a subsidy for scholarship.
• The guarantee of shelter, healthcare, education, food and drinking water as basic human rights that must be provided free to all.
• A total redistribution of idle lands to landless farmers and the imposition of a 50% cap on arable land devoted to products for export per country, with the creation of a worldwide subsidy for organic agriculture.
• Government should create better policies to tackle this problem and learn from our past. There should be policies for providing jobs to unemployed people.
• Promote industrializations
• Replacement of the traditional agriculture
• Equipment with new specific equipment in order to increase the yields.
• Establishment of justices and equality
• Equal distribution of resources
• Elimination of discrimination policies
• Social Protection

Social Assistance Programs for the poor

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