The Problem of Poverty

The incidence of poverty in Pakistan is on increase is spite of recent opening up of the Pakistani economy, globalization economy. The rich are becoming richer and the poor, more poor and deprived. The rural poverty has increased from 32 percent of 42 percent as nothing effective has been done to alleviate poverty and to bridge the gap between the well off and the needy and poor in the villages. Poverty can be seen at its worst in some of the Pakistani Provinces like rural Sindh, Balochistan, KP, etc. where millions and million of people suffer from hunger, poverty, malnutrition, ill-health and destitution. Hundreds of them are dying regularly for want of basic minimum need. There cannot be a more appalling and agonizing scene than this. In spite of our 67 years of independence, we have not been able to provide millions and millions of Pakistani with barest minimum food to keep their body and soul together, let alone the improvement in the quality of life.

It is estimated that about half of the Pakistani population has been living below poverty line. However, official figure show that poverty in Pakistan has declined from 30 percent in 184-85 to 29.9 percent during 1987-88. These figures cannot be relied upon because they are prepared on the dictate of the political bosses.

For example, till March 1997, it was estimated that 18.1 percent of people in Pakistan were living below poverty line against 29.9 percent, during 1987-88. Then this figure was doubled to 39.57 percent at the full meeting of the Planning Commission held on 10 March, 1997 and presided over by the Prime Minister to suit and serve the ends of the political leaders and masters. Every now and then poverty statistics are manipulated and new methodologies are evolved to calculate the number of poor in the country. It is high time that such practices are stopped and a sound, foolproof and objective methodology, based on facts and technical data, is adopted.

Poverty cannot be defined exactly and in absolute terms. It may differ from country to country and even from one province to another in the same country. Similarly, a rural poor and an urban poor cannot be measured with the same yardstick because the cost of living in respect of these two are different. But all people whose calorie intake is very low or modest, those who do not have basic minimum needs of living are below poverty line. They are victims of hunger, starvation, ill health and malnutrition because their means of subsistence are abysmally low and negligible. They have been living in famine conditions. There are enough food-grains in the the market but they have no money to buy it. Political freedom and independence in meaningless unless people free from hunger and abject poverty. These people just exist and life has no joy, no significance for them.

The rural spent over 75 percent of their meagre income on food. In urban areas too, the very poor spend almost the same percentage of their wages on food items. Then there is hardly left anything from clothing, housing, education or health. These people have been victims of endemic, hunger, poverty and destitution. Even the food grains sold through the network of ration and fair price shops at subsided rates have been beyond their purchasing power. The imbalance between population and food production has further worsened the situation. Consequently, there are many starvation deaths, particularly in the remote and far-flung rural areas. According to Decadal 1991 census, Pakistan's population was 846.3 million. Pakistan is one of the most population nation. Malnutrition is the result because food production is hardly keeping pace with the rapidly increasing number of mouths in the country. According a report, Pakistan is one of the three countries where 50 percent of the world's malnourished children are found. The other two countries are India and Bangladesh. About 53 percent of under five children are malnourished in the country. Infants here are worst off than in nay country of the world. Thus, the per capita availability of food grains was 15.2 ounces per day in 1956, which increased marginally to 15.8 ounces in 1974.

There has been green revolution and food-grain production has definitely increased but this has been in respect of fine and superior food grains like wheat and rice only. As far as the coarse food grains like bajra, Jawar and barley etc. are concerned, the grouth has been negligible. The poor masses cannot afford to buy superior quality of food grains. Thus, the much advertised green revolution has only served the interest of relatively rich and prosperous sections of the society and the weaker and vulnerable section have been left in the lurch. The marginal farmers have been further benefited the most from this agriculture revolution. There has been improvement in the quality of life and living-standards of the upper middle class but as far as the poor classes are concerned, they are just managing to survive and exist. For them ratio, electronic gadgets etc. are still luxury. They cannot dream of consumer durables. The small farmers, daily wage-earners, labourers, artisans etc. in the villages and small towns are still being exploited by the middle men and money-lenders. They are worst victims of hoarders, black marketers and price-manipulators. The traders and shopkeepers fleece them as and when they will because they are poor, illiterate, superstitious and fatalistic.

Poverty is not a sin but it is definitely a curse which in its return generates such social evils and crimes as theft, kidnapping, murder, drug-trafficking, violence, prostitution, extremism and terrorism etc. A poor person, drived to extreme and desperation can stoop too low to commit any crime. Poor and unemployed young men in the cities easily become an unwilling instrument of foreign sponsored terrorism. For example, three brothers in Punjab all daily wage labourers and dalits committed suicide by consuming alphos poison on April 1997. They could not afford the proper treatment of their ailing father because of extreme poverty who ultimately died for want of medication and care. Many unmarried girls hang, immolate or drink poison to commit suicide because their parents cannot afford dowry or decent marriage.

Pakistan is an Islamic welfare State and it is the duty of the government to see that all its citizens lead a good, meaningful, satisfying and qualitative life. Some of the directive principles like "the right to adequate means to livelihood," "right to work", protection against "unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement." free and universal education up to the age of 14 years" should now become part of our fundamental rights and therefore, justice able. The concentration of wealth in the hands of few should be prevented and three should be fair distribution of national wealth among all its citizens.