Poverty is one of the major social problems that Pakistan has facing today. It causes a lot of social ills and no society can hope to progress without dealing with this grave issue.
One of the main reasons of poverty is unemployment. People who do not have jobs are unable to fulfill their basic need. Another cause of poverty is the lack of education in our country. The literacy rate of Pakistan is very low and it is also feeding into this crisis of poverty. The poor of our country do not have access to education. Moreover, the poor also do not have access to basic health facilities.
Although the middle-class has grown in Pakistan to 35 million, nearly one-quarter of the population is classified poor as of October 2006. As of 2008, 17.2% of the total population lived below the poverty line, which is the lowest figure in the history of Pakistan.
The Government of Pakistan should take steps to decrease the poverty rate. Programmes like BISP are commendable but they are not enough on their own. Shelter, healthcare, education, food and drinking water which are our basic need must be provided free to all. Furthermore, it is essential that employment opportunities be created so that the poor can find a way to come out of the vicious poverty trap.
ASAD ALI KHAN
Lahore
