“An imbalance between the rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” This quote was written by Plutarch almost 2000 years ago, but although centuries have passed, it seems that it has never been more relevant. With economic inequality existing within even the most prosperous of nations, ever since its conception in 1947, Pakistan has also suffered from the plague of poverty.
Poverty has become a key part of Pakistan’s image in recent years. If you ask a foreigner about what comes to their mind when they hear the word “Pakistan”, chances are it is either a scene of overcrowded slums by the side of the Ravi or a beggar in bedraggled clothes going car to car by a mall in Islamabad. The roots of this issue run deep and widespread, stunting economic growth and preventing the less-fortunate from escaping the shackles of poverty.
At 2.0%, Pakistan has the highest population growth rate in South-Asia, a nerve-wracking figure when you consider the fact that it is neighbored by some of the most populated countries in the world. In an agricultural system where the top 1 percent of the farmers own almost 20 percent of farmable land, increase in a family household increases the pressure on the breadwinners of the family, ensuring that they are not able to improve their lifestyle. Furthermore, Pakistan’s dominantly patriarchal system encourages couples to sire children until a boy is born in the family: feeding the fire by increasing the number of mouths to feed in already struggling households.
Apart from the population growth, about half of Pakistan’s population is illiterate. Without education and basic skills training, the youth are not able to fill employment criteria. Already existing systems have proven to be inadequate in addressing these issues, and this hinders economic growth and societal development. Without an adequate amount of education, people remain unemployed and do not get the opportunity to rise out of poverty. Pakistan also notoriously spends the lowest on education compared to other South-Asian countries. Coupled with institutional corruption, increase in child labor, and the rising trend in madrassa education, lack of literacy can be seen as a major contributor to poverty.
Another major contributing factor to poverty in Pakistan is the imbalanced taxation system that proves to be harmful to the poor. In a country where four out of every ten citizens live without basic needs of life, it is disheartening to see the fortunate clearly feed on the less-fortunate without repercussions. A lecturer in UMass Amherst, Obed Pasha, quotes, “What we have is a completely broken system, where the entire burden is on the poor and large businesses do not pay taxes at all.” Without income opportunities and a parasitic society, the poor cannot afford to pay taxes, decreasing their chances to rise out of poverty.
Recent governments have undertaken several policy changes to try and end poverty once and for all in Pakistan. Indeed, Pakistan was amongst the top 15 countries that showed the largest annual average percentage point decline between 2000 and 2015. However, as quoted by the famous playwright John Heywood: “Rome was not built in a day”. The issue of poverty runs far deeper than we imagine. To make significant strides, we need to change our outlook and think in the long term. We must aim to change the traditionally parasitic system, contribute to employment opportunities for the poor and, ultimately, try to end the issue of poverty once and for all in our beloved nation.
The writer is an A-Level student at Aitchison College. He is an avid reader and an eloquent public-speaker and serves as the General Secretary of the Aitchison College Literary Society, and is also the Editor of Aitchison’s premier magazine, ‘The Aitchisonian’