The UN Human Development Index (HDI) report for 2018 is in. Overall, the news is good. For during the period covering 1990-2017 — which saw the world’s population rise from 5 billion to 7.5 billion — the number of people in low development fell from 3 billion to 926 million; or from 60 percent of the population to just 12 percent. Similarly, the number of people in high or very high human development tripled from 1.2 billion to 3.8 billion; or from 24 percent of the population to 51 percent. All of which has prompted certain sections of the western media to declare that life in developing nations is on the up. When it comes to regional breakdowns, South Asia as a whole has experienced the fastest growth over the 1990-2018 period; put at 45.3 percent. Yet even so, the region is still home to the widest gender gap; 16.3 percent. As for Pakistan, the picture is rather grim. The country has dropped one place to be ranked 150 of 189 nations. Moreover, of the nine South Asian nations — it only outperforms Afghanistan. The HDI combines four simple measures: life-expectancy at birth (66.6 years for Pakistan); gross national income per person ($5,311); average years of education (5.2 years); and expected years of school (8.6 years). The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) represents Pakistan’s largest single social safety net initiative and recipient of the state’s third largest allocation. Yet there is no ignoring the fact the country needs to do much more. Real long-term investment is required. It can never be sufficient to measure income levels by the number of available imported goods; from foodstuffs to luxury cars. Just as it is an injustice to trade on the number of students passing through the elite private school system on their way to university in a bid to point to the rise of an urban educated youth. For all this remains meaningless while those who fall through the safety net remain unaccounted for. And the longer this continues, the more pronounced the risk when it comes to surrendering policymaking to the international development sector. This is to be avoided. For while dedicated teams working here on the ground do their sincere best for this country — there can be no denying that ‘donor’ nations often have their own interests in mind when earmarking or devising certain projects; such as the de-radicalisation of populations at home. In short, the Pakistani state must take ultimate responsibility for investing in its people. While making every effort to realise the dream of a South Asia at peace with itself. * Published in Daily Times, September 18th 2018.