[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”!!! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT !!!” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”!!! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT !!!” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – SUMMARY – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your summary. The summary condenses the main points for the news that starts below. The summary is in bold and not longer than 300 characters, including spaces. The counter at the bottom can help.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The author discusses the ongoing issue of poverty in Pakistan, where over a quarter of the population struggles to meet basic needs, despite a decline in absolute poverty over time. Although the number of impoverished individuals exceeds that of 1947, various poverty alleviation and social protection measures have been implemented since the mid-20th century. Key initiatives include Village Aid and Rural Works Programs in the 1950s and 1960s, Zakat in the 1980s, Bait-ul-Mal in the 1990s, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in the 2000s, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) starting in 2008, and a dedicated federal ministry for poverty alleviation established in 2019. The provinces, such as Punjab’s Social Protection Authority, have also taken measures.<\/p>\n
Public spending on social protection and poverty alleviation has increased drastically over the past two decades, exceeding a trillion rupees from 2015. BISP’s allocation has seen a notable rise from PKR 34 billion in 2008 to even higher amounts in subsequent years. These social safety nets have emerged largely in response to economic stagnation, high inflation, and external donor influence. The programs fall into three categories:<\/p>\n
1. Social insurance programs<\/strong>, where beneficiaries contribute to receive benefits later, including schemes like the Employees\u2019 Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and Worker Welfare Fund (WWF). However, their reach is limited due to knowledge gaps and the informal economy.<\/p>\n 2. Social assistance programs<\/strong> are non-contributory and aimed at vulnerable groups like Zakat and BISP. Some of these have seen substantial budget increases.<\/p>\n 3. Labour market programs<\/strong> focusing on skill development for youth and unemployment protection include initiatives like the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Skills Development Program.<\/p>\n Despite the array of initiatives, the text argues that they have not effectively built resilience, equity, or opportunity for vulnerable populations. Issues highlighted include politicization, inadequate targeting of programs, and overly ambitious schemes lacking alignment with the country\u2019s economic realities. The author concludes that without sustained economic growth and skill development, social protection efforts alone cannot alleviate poverty in Pakistan.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – TEXT OF THE NEWS – BLOCK 1 – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your news. PLEASE USE ONLY THE FEATURED IMAGE FUNCTION on your right column to add the image.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||1em||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – TEXT OF THE NEWS – BLOCK 2 – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your news. PLEASE USE ONLY THE FEATURED IMAGE FUNCTION on your right column to add the image.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The author discusses the ongoing issue of poverty in Pakistan, where over a quarter of the population struggles to meet basic needs, despite a decline in absolute poverty over time. Although the number of impoverished individuals exceeds that of 1947, various poverty alleviation and social protection measures have been implemented since the mid-20th century. Key…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2098,"featured_media":987737411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[],"tags":[122,135],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/987737404"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2098"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=987737404"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/987737404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":987737426,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/987737404\/revisions\/987737426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987737411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=987737404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=987737404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/p4h.world\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=987737404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}