As Muslims, we should pray to God to save us from poverty. May Allah help us to eradicate poverty in Pakistan. Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money. The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way: “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter.
what is poverty?
Poverty is usually a lack of money or material positions of a usual amount or acceptable amount.
Poverty is also when someone lacks the means to satisfy their basic needs. So, we can say that poverty is the lack of income or when we cannot full fill basic needs as well as lack of access to the social infrastructure.
Poverty in Pakistan Overview
If we take the official figures, it determines that 29.5% population of Pakistan was under the poverty line in 2013 in 2014 but it came to 24.3% in 2015 and 2016. Pakistan ranked in the top 15 countries among 114 countries of the world in 2010. There was a decline in poverty had counted but an independent think tank estimated that more than 30% of the population is still living under the poverty line in 2015 and which means more than 13 million of the people were under the poverty line.
In 2019 and 2020 Covid-19 made a huge impact on the incomes of Pakistanis. It was more severe on the poor people in Pakistan and all over the world. It made us go back to the poverty level of 9 years back with more than 490 million people under the poverty line. Pakistan’s GDP growth also decline 3% in this pandemic, so it proved statically i.e. poverty elevation in Pakistan.
Following are the solution to Poverty in Pakistan
Increase employment to eradicate poverty in Pakistan
More Jobs lead to the eradication of poverty. We should create more jobs according to the population. Policies/ legislation should be made to give an appropriate environment to flourish the business. As a result, job creation will lead to the alleviation of poverty. We should improve the workers’ productivity; resultantly poverty can be irrigated from families one by one.
High wages/pay to eradicate poverty in Pakistan
Development and implementation of economic growth policies and programs. We should raise the minimum wage to ensure economic stability according to inflation. As the value of Pakistani Rupees is devaluing very fast these days, minimum wages should be revised according to it. Studies show that a 10 percent increase in an average income reduces poverty by almost 20-30 percent.
Government Relief Programs to eradicate poverty in Pakistan
The program Sehat card should be for all the Pakistani irrespective of a resident of a specific province or city. It would be great for the whole nation to have free checkups /medical treatment. All private and public hospitals should be affiliated with this card. Another change should be that all types of diseases should come under this card.
The initiative of BISP (Benazir income support program) and Ehsas program is great but the method for the research and data collection should be improved for these programs and the amount should be increased according to recent inflation in Pakistan. Government should introduce more of these types of relief programs for the handicapped population and social security benefits for the older ones. Old people should also get social security benefits after the age of 70 or 65 should be decided by the policy.
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Natural Resources Management:
Improve management of water and other natural resources. Most of the rural poor population depend on agriculture or other natural resources for their livelihood. Consequently, they must have more access to those resources, so they are better able to manage their resources.
Agriculture sector
The agriculture system should be modernized. Invest in and implement agricultural programs. Everyone should have equal access to resources and services. Electricity, pesticide, and fertilizers for small scale farmers can be subsidized to eliminate poverty.
Microfinance/ interest-free loan
Programs like AKHUWAT Foundation are working on interest- free loans for poverty free society. Government should support them to upscale their Work.
Educate your Children
Above all, every child should be educated, and it should be in the law. So, education can change their world/future.
It has the power to change the fate of the whole country.
Conclusion
Any country can eradicate poverty. Expansions of SEHAT card, the EHSAS program, and BISP have contributed to lower side effects of inflation in Pakistan and to better health care access at a reduced cost. On the other hand, public organization like AKHUWAT are contributing on their own. So, we can say; Poverty is preventable. Yet we all must fight for our existence.
Written By: FATEHA ANBER (ASSISTANT EDUCATION OFFICER)
