If we review the performance of the government in the previous year, according to its own claims, the picture is vague. Such as macro-stabilisation is an exaggeration and to regard it a step to the growth of the economy is not in accordance with the reality. There are some positive aspects but negativity is limitless that cannot be hidden. The term of overall progress is only to deceive. There is no improvement in the standard of life. According to the facts and figures that the Planning Commission itself has issued the 30pc of the population is suffering from severe poverty. Although few months before, it was the claim of the government that poverty has been reduced up to 9pc. Education and health are suffering badly. Though effective investment and development is necessary in both departments not only because of human needs but also for economic progress. The condition of the distribution of wealth is the worse. The upper 5pc or 10pc of the population has more than 80pc of the resources. While 60pc to 70pc population has less than 10pc of the resources, 30pc people are the victim of the intense poverty. 60pc population is living a life of below standard. Inequality in the distribution of wealth is increasing day by day. We see poverty, hunger and suicide on one side while there is wealth, luxury malls and life style on the other side.
Dr Akmal Hussain in his article (The News May 5, 2016) has presented the results of his research that are based on the figures presented by the World Bank that there are only 20,000 people who earn 1 million dollars annually. As many as 60pc people of the lower rank in population have only 730 dollars per capita according to Pakistan Economic Survey in 2013-14. It is the difference of 1 and 1,300.
In a civilised society, no one can imagine such a difference. This inequality is a characteristic of the feudalism and capitalism and many movements are in strength in the west against it. Especially, the movement of Wall Street which is versus 99pc movements, but in western countries the inequality does not touch the limit of 1 and 1,300.
Unluckily, it has become the style of Pakistan and some Muslim countries. The deprivation of a large number of the people is creating the sentiments of hatred, extremism and rebellion. In this perspective, the above mentioned salaries of the presidents of the five largest banks of the country need to be considered. The expenditures of the offices and kitchens of the prime minister and the president of the country should also be checked in this regard.
According to the present budget, the annual expenditures of presidency are more than Rs86 million and in PM House Rs88 million are spent annually. It is a part of the budget 2016-17 with the percentage of 7.8pc. According to a review of the Planning Commission published in the newspapers of April 8, 2016, 3 persons in every 10 Pakistanis are in the clutches of the severe poverty.
It means nearly 60 million people are living a life of extreme poverty. It was claimed in the light of the previous reviews that it is only two million. The basic reason for it was the definition of the poverty and the indicators through which it was estimated. In the light of the new research, in addition to two million which are below than the poverty line, there are two million more which are on the verge of this line.
A little economic shock can bring a big change for them and they can come below the poverty line. In the population of 19 million, 8 million people are living a life of minimum facilities. Though in the Holy Quran, the negligence in the rights of orphans, poor and helpless people has been regarded as the denial of the religion. Another standard to judge the economic condition is the safety of food. In this way half of the population is facing the deprivation of food. We can take the example of Tharparkar. It doesn’t mean to criticise an area or a province. There are also many areas in the other provinces. Because media has paid attention to this area, that’s why it has to mention.
We have to admit with great sorrow that in spite of so much attention and media focus and the government of the same party for 8 years, no change has occurred yet. The shortage of food and water and little facilities of medical has become the fate of that area. According to the official facts and figures published in another English-language newspaper on June 16, 2016, 222 children have died due to lack of food, water and medical treatment only this year.
While people living in that area tell that the exact number is 355. 1.7 million youths are jobless and an easy target for those who hunt them for terrorism and extremism. Unfortunately, 41% of this 1.7 million lives in the urban areas of Sindh. While only one fourth of the population lives in Sindh. According to a fresh report that has been issued by social policy and development centre, the jobless youth in Punjab from 15 to 24 years were 821,000 in number, 711,000 in Sindh, 1,070,000 in Balochistan and in KP it is 57,000. This situation is alarming but governments are ignoring it constantly. Pakistan has a very shameful status regarding the human progress in international reviews. It has 147th number in the 188 countries of the world.
Our score in the human development index is 0.538. According to the report of UNDP we are included in those less developed countries Nepal (0.548), Bangladesh (0.570), India (0.609) and Sri Lanka (0.757) have more score than us. Palestine (0.677) is more progressed than in spite of all destruction. If we consider the condition of the health facilities, they are at the lowest point. 66 children die out of every 1,000 children. In India this ratio is 38 and in Sri Lanka it is 8. 170 mothers die out of 1 lakh mothers during delivery in Pakistan. In Sri Lanka, it is 30pc and in Thailand it is only 20pc. The medical facilities provided by the government are hardly available for the 30pc of our population. While70pc of the population is completely deprived of it.
There is no need to mention what is the condition and standard of these facilities. The registered doctors in the country are 184,711 in number. It means one doctor for the treatment of 1,038 patients. The condition of the hospitals can be understood through this fact that one bed is available for 1,613 people. A lot of patients have to lie on the floor and the same number remains unsuccessful in getting admission to the hospitals. This is the condition of the common man. If it is the improvement of the economy collectively, then we should pay salute to it.
The government has been unsuccessful in improving the economy in the previous three years completely. The railway system has improved collectively. But the availability of energy, increase in production, increase in public facilities, improvement in living standard, growth in foreign trade, national and international investment everything is dissatisfactory. Clean drinking water is rare.
Agriculture and exports are the two important pillars of the economy, both have become weak. It is not happened only in this year but the conditions have become worse gradually in the previous three years. The government has not affected by the reports of the State Bank and the independent circles. The subsidy that is being promised regarding the agricultural inputs, the steps that are being taken for providing the electricity and the good news of zero rating in five fields for imports, all these measures were being demanded for three years. It is a fact that the facilities of subsidy and the zero rating were available five years before. These facilities were taken back in the government of PPP to please IMF.
The government of PML-N also did nothing for it. Now after a lot of damage, some measures are being taken. Although it is insufficient but something good. In the following lines we’ll suggest that government should also remove the other structural hurdles in this way along with these measures. It will be impossible to bring progress and prosperity in the country without it. Basic reforms are required in the fields of the priorities of the government, its monitory policy, tax and government expenditures, trade policy, labour policy, agricultural reforms, health and education.
(To be continued)
The writer is an ex-minister of Zia era, former Jamaat-e-Islami senator and heads Institute of Policy Studies
