Pakistan’s Socio-Economic Problems

A number of social, economic and political problems which have been confronting Pakistan since its inception, have proved to be a seemingly formidable obstacle to the development of our beloved country. Social problems have always been highlighted but encouraging results could not be had mainly owing to the low literacy rate in the country and lack of awareness among various classes of our society (which is again because of the lack of education) about these problems.

It is crystal clear that ours is a male chauvinistic society which most of the times doesn’t extend proper respect towards the better half of the society (females), who have been and still are subjected to a number of indecencies. For instance, many get divorce for their inability to bring along substantial dowry (perhaps not substantial according to the wrongful demand of their husbands). And soon afterwards they have to knock at the doors of the place where they had come from.

It needs no mention that in a society like ours divorcees hardly get married again with the result that they indulge in household chores till they grow grey hair. On the job women face no different situations. The lustful eyes of their male colleagues keep chasing them and they (the women) have to be consistent in their efforts to keep up their integrity. And of course, sometimes they lose their jobs for keeping their integrity and grace intact.

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The much talked about problem of class distinction is no less grave a problem. The rich have been using and exploiting the poor sections of the society to their own advantage, which could be called evil and rightly so the rich are getting richer day by day and the poor poorer. It seems as if the rich have a heart in their chests which is perhaps harder than the stone, they look down upon the wretched sections of the society with utmost disgust. The poor who don’t afford education for their children, feel forced to send them to work on kilns on daily wage system and in that too they don’t earn enough to make both ends meet with the results that all the family members remain from hand to mouth and these innocent petals of nature are subjected to torture and humiliation which definitely crushes their respect and confidence.

The economic problem is rampant in our country and may be rightly so for our country owes approximately US$ 20 billion to various countries and donor agencies like the world bank and the IMF. No doubt the government is maneuvering to attract the foreign investors by reducing customs duty on individual machinery, making tax free zone, allowing the foreign investors to get the profit money transferred out of country etc. but these efforts on the part of the government have not proved much successful on account of the political crisis in the country. Same is the case with the local investors who don’t find the political atmosphere encouraging and suitable for investment despite the fact that they are being offered loans on very attractive terms. Less money is left to be utilized for the development of the country and a major portion has been specified for the corrupt system and their departments as well. The debt servicing has proved disastrous for the country but there’s no other way out as we have to return the loan with interest.

The most striking problem, upon which the other problems depend, is the political one. Pakistan has many facet political problems, it may be mentioned that other problems are directly proportional to this problem, meaning that when this increases the others increases and vice versa. The ongoing tug of war between “two bigs” has resulted in the absolute suspension of the official working in the government departments. Under these circumstances, the institutions, judiciary, bureaucracy, Parliament have divided into two, one group favouring each. This political and constitutional crisis has checked the foreign and domestic trends towards investment in the country.

Above all, very little legislation has been and is being under these circumstances as the legislators are preoccupied with their political maneuvering.

Qurrait-ul-Ain Qureshi