The topmost issue faced by Pakistan is political instability and polarization, especially in an election year. The country’s turn to political instability did not end with a dramatic no-confidence vote in parliament that ousted then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan from office.
Instability and polarization have only heightened since then. The chairman of the PTI or Pakistan Tehreek Insaf Imran Khan led a popular opposition movement against the incumbent coalition government and the military, staging a series of large rallies across the country. The struggle for power in Pakistan continues even after a new government coming to power after February 8 elections.
Another major issue is the precarious economic situation. Pakistan’s economy has been in crisis for months. Inflation is backbreaking, the rupee’s value has fallen sharply, and its foreign reserves have now dropped to the precariously low level, raising the possibility of default.
Other significant issues include healthcare availability, illiteracy, and poor law enforcement. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan is ranked 122 out of 190 countries regarding healthcare. And if we look at infant mortality, Pakistan stands third-highest ranked country in the world. According to a survey, Pakistan has a 60 percent literacy rate which means that 40% of the population is illiterate. Crime is also a major social problem, with a deep connection between crime and illiteracy.
‘’Pakistan cannot progress unless these issues are addressed properly,’’ says Mushahid Ullah, a renowned political commentator in Pakistan. ‘’However, they require concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and the international community.’’
The new government is working to stabilize the political situation. However, the political reset could usher in short-term stability as the power of social and digital media rests with the youth, majority of whom are believed to be supporters of the cricketer-turn politician Imran Khan.
The government however plans to address the political unrest through addressing the dwindling economy, illiteracy, healthcare and law and order in the country.
To address poverty, the government has initially set up distribution sites across the country to provide low-cost and free flour to people to ease their burden amid spiraling prices and the ongoing economic crisis.
‘’We are committed to steer the country out of economic crisis by bringing structural reforms in the economic sector,’’ chief minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz told media this week.
But experts believe a sustained medium-term recovery will require a prudent macroeconomic policy mix coupled with reforms to improve the quality of expenditures, broaden the tax base, address regulatory constraints to private sector activity, reduce state presence in the economy—including via privatizations, address challenges in the energy sector, and increase public investments to improve human development outcomes.
As for the healthcare, the government says that it has pledged to increase federal and provincial allocations to health to 3% of gross domestic product and identified better coverage and more functional PHC services as a strategic priority for the federal and provincial governments to achieve UHC. ‘’The vision of National Health vision 2025 is to improve the health of all Pakistanis, particularly women and children, through universal access to quality essential health services and ensuring financial protection, with a focus on vulnerable groups, and delivered through resilient and responsive health systems,’’ says Attaullah Tarar, the minister information, in a media talk.
Tacking illiteracy, the government says it has initiated several programs to tackle illiteracy. ‘’For instance, the project titled “Literate Pakistan for sustained development” is designed to literate almost 811,800 adults across Pakistan in a period of 3 years,’’ says information minister.
He says the government needs to increase investment in education, particularly in marginalized areas. This includes building more schools, providing adequate resources, and training qualified educators and fostering partnerships with NGOs and educational institutions.
Bringing reforms in police department is what the government is working on to address the issue of poor law enforcement. As part of the reforms, promoting gender equality in the police force is also under considerations. To this effect, Women Police Councils offer a path toward greater inclusion for women in Pakistan’s male-dominated police force.
These are some of the steps being taken by the government to address these issues. However, experts believe that the effectiveness of these measures will depend on their implementation and the cooperation of all stakeholders.
