Planners in Pakistan are following filter-down strategies rather than investing in human development.
This was stated by prominent journalist and human rights activist IA Rehman, while giving a lecture on ‘Human Rights and Economic Development’ at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). He said only about 4 percent of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product is spent on human rights related development whereas most countries invest over 4 percent of their GDP on education alone. He emphasised the need for initiating a dialogue on rights-based development as the only means to ensure ownership of the people. He regretted that the Parliament was not holding a special session as required by Article 29 on the principles of policies related to education, health, culture and social welfare. He stated that it was only with the 18th Amendment that the right to primary and secondary education was recognised as a fundamental human right. He added that it was regrettable that Pakistan was trailing the SAARC countries-except for Bhutan and Nepal-in terms of the Human Development Index, such as infant and maternal mortality and gender equality.
