Pakistan one of the poorest countries
November 15th, 2011Published on Pakistan Observer, November 6, 2011.
ACCORDING to the Human Development Report 2011 of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan is among the largest group of multi-dimensionally poorest countries of the world. Among the low human development countries, Pakistan is at number 145, whereas Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India and China are among the medium development countries.
Though it is not a revelation as ground realities are known to all but its categorization among the poorest countries should serve as an eye opener to the rulers who seem to be insensitive to the plight of the masses. We are also mindful of the fact that the Government has been striving to address the challenge of poverty by way of launching programmes like Benazir Income Support Programme, assistance out of Pakistan Baitul Maal and some sort of subsidies on different occasions including Ramzanul Mubarak. But these measures and programmes offer no sustainable solution to the problem of poverty that needs to be tackled in a visionary manner. It is indeed insulting for a country to be regarded as poorest of the poor which has immense potential that remains either untapped or is going to drains due to massive corruption and inefficiency. This situation is unacceptable in a country which has fertile land, one of the largest irrigation systems in the world and fifth largest milk producer. Similarly, it is endowed with natural resources like coal and gold but we have so far shown criminal negligence in exploiting these resources. We have potential to generate electricity not only to meet our needs for hundreds of years but can also export it to other countries but our people are forced to live in darkness and businesses and industries are suffering due to load-shedding … (full text).
Links:
Human Development Reports 2011 on UNDP;
Developing country on en.wikipedia;
Nations Online Project: Rich and poor countries;
Bill Gates: China’s innovation can help the poorest, Watch this video, 3.33 min., published on China Daily, by reporter Zhang Yuwei, Novmber 9, 2011;
Without consent: how drugs companies exploit Indian guinea pigs, Illiterate patients say they never agreed to take part in trials run by industry worth £189m, on The Independent, Nov. 14, 2011.