Country Director for the World Bank in Pakistan Najy Benhassine, while releasing the policy notes on Pakistan, said this may be their moment to make policy shifts….reports Asian Lite News
The World Bank has warned that Pakistan is at a tipping point on poverty with 40 per cent of its population below the poverty line, The Financial Post reported.
The warning comes ahead of the elections. The Bank’s policy note is meant to act as a guide for the new government that will take office after the elections for policy reforms.
Underlying the Bank’s suggestions for the future is the fact that over 12.5 million Pakistanis fell below the poverty line last year and are struggling to meet their daily needs. The latest statistics show that poverty rose from 34.2 per cent to 39.4 per cent. With more people falling below the poverty line of USD 3.65 per day income level.
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With Pakistan facing serious economic and human development crises, it is abundantly clear that the country is today unable to reduce poverty and living standards have fallen behind peer countries. This is certainly going to be a challenge in the near future, but the real problem is the capacity of any government in Pakistan to make a substantial difference has always been in doubt.
Country Director for the World Bank in Pakistan Najy Benhassine, while releasing the policy notes on Pakistan, said this may be their moment to make policy shifts. Najy says Pakistan has been facing numerous economic hardships including inflation, rising electricity prices, severe climate shocks, and insufficient public resources to finance development and climate adaptation.
The Bank’s policy note claims that the current model of development can’t reduce poverty in Pakistan, as the country has the lowest per capita income in South Asia and the highest out-of-school kids in the world. Pakistan’s human development outcomes lag well behind the rest of South Asia and is roughly equivalent to those in many Sub-Saharan African countries with the costs disproportionately borne by girls and women.
Statistics in this regard says that close to 40% of children under five years of age are stunted and Pakistan has the largest number (20.3 million) of out-of-school children in the world.
According to the World Bank, Pakistan’s growth model has also resulted in periodic balance of payments crises driven by unsustainable fiscal and current account deficits that necessitated subsequent painful contractionary adjustments, slowing growth, reducing certainty and undermining investments, as per The Financial Post.
Teachers’ strike
The teaching staff in Pakistan’s Attock district are continuing to strike against amendments to pension and leave encashment rules. As a result, students are being greeted with locked doors, Dawn reported.
The call for the strike was given by the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) to press for their demands.
Locking the doors of their respective educational institutions and offices of the education department, the protesting teachers and staff of the Punjab education department gathered outside the office of the chief executive of the district education authority and staged a sit-in while carrying placards and banners inscribed with different slogans and demands.
They also chanted slogans against the provincial government and called for an end to the discrimination against them, as per Dawn.
A protesting teacher Samina Bibi said: “We, the teaching staff, demand that the Punjab government treat its employees fairly and equitably and should increase their salaries and benefits in line with the federal government and other provinces.”
Another teacher, Shahida Perveen, emphasised the importance of the leave encashment rule, stating that it provides financial benefits to individuals nearing retirement. She was of the view that if the Punjab government were to abolish this rule, it would not only discourage teachers but also cause distress among them.
President of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) Attock chapter, Malik Zahid Mehmood, while talking to newsmen outside the office of the chief executive district education authority, said that the provincial employees in the past observed sit-ins only once a week on Tuesday, but as the government paid no heed to their demands, now they have decided to observe strikes on a daily basis for an indefinite period until acceptance of their demands. (ANI)
Saudi Recovers Over 12K Fake Pak Passports From Afghans
More than 12000 fake Pakistani passports have been recovered from Afghan nationals by Saudi Arabian authorities, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
This revelation has raised concerns about the performance of national institutions.
As per reports, Riyadh authorities have notified Islamabad about this matter, shedding light on the acquisition of these fraudulent passports by Afghan citizens through various passport centers operating within Pakistan, The Express Tribune, a Pakistan-based newspaper, reported.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has in response formed a high-level committee comprising representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and sensitive government agencies.
This committee’s primary responsibilities include identifying the individuals involved in the issuance of counterfeit passports and compiling a list of those implicated. Subsequent legal actions will be taken against these individuals in accordance with the country’s laws, as per The Express Tribune.
This development follows the government’s issuance of an ultimatum, instructing all illegal foreign residents in Pakistan to leave the country by the end of October. This directive has prompted the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to express concerns regarding the profiling of Afghan nationals with a “narrow view of national security.”
On Wednesday, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) assured that legally residing Afghan nationals in Pakistan would not face harassment or arrest.
The process of evacuating Afghan citizens living illegally in Pakistan began last week with 16 trucks transporting 20 families to the Torkham border. Once they fulfil the legal requirements, these 20 families, totalling 350 people, will be allowed to enter Afghanistan, as per The Express Tribune.
Islamabad has been a host to millions of refugees for decades, with a peak of up to five million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan at one point. However, official records indicate a considerably lower count of individuals possessing valid refugee cards. (ANI)
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