Major Social Problems in Pakistan
Major Social Problems in Pakistan
Major Social Problems in Pakistan
Though these social problems can differ in nature. From economic concerns to
public health and social disorganization, these pressing issues are not so easy to
deal with.
A list of social issues in Pakistan that it has been facing since its inception in 1947
are as follows, sadly Pakistan is still facing these major social problems in 2024:
Illiteracy
Poverty
Unemployment
Overpopulation
Child Labor
Poor Health Infrastructure
Injustice
Economic Instability
1- Illiteracy
Literacy is a concept that acknowledges how important it is to comprehend how
the world has evolved. In other words, literacy is crucial and enables a nation’s
citizens to understand the harsh realities of the outside world.
A nation will be able to convey its feelings to the rest of the globe in this way.
A crucial factor in a nation’s development is literacy.
Fact Alert: Pakistan holds 138th position in terms of literacy rate out of 167
countries – The Legatum Prosperity Index
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan says: ‘The State of Pakistan
shall reduce illiteracy and provide compulsory education to all the children free of
cost.’
If we see the major social issues in Pakistan, the 2021 Report of Human
Development says that only 59% of Pakistan’s population is designated as literate.
Ensure one medium of instruction and syllabi, Single National Curriculum was
launched in 2021.
Increase the federal and provincial education budget.
Build new educational and technical institutes.
To encourage girls on governmental levels to go to school as females are more
than half of the country’s population.
Train and educate the teachers on the essentials of teaching and handling the
children.
2- Poverty
A Chinese proverb says: ‘In a well-governed country, poverty is something to be
ashamed of. In a poorly governed country, wealth is something to be ashamed of.
In a country where political parties have been ruling on slogans like ‘roti, kapra
aur makan’, poverty is one of the common social problems.
Poverty is the state of being deficient in basic needs of everyday life, e.g. food,
clothes, shelter, education etc. It includes social, political, and economic elements.
Out of every 1000 babies born, 67 die before they see their 5th birthday.
Pakistan’s economy fluctuates daily, and the national progress is too slow. Its
24.3% population lives below the poverty line, according to a report by the Asian
Development Bank.
This situation is alarming, and the government needs to speed up working on
sustainable development goals.
International variables like the global financial crisis, the rise in the p, the global
food crisis, etc. have fueled the fire in addition to these national reasons.
Solutions:
Although poverty cannot be eradicated at once, many solutions can be provided for
limiting this major social problem:
In the building of a great nation, every person including males, females, and youth
must take part in its establishment and growth. Sadly in Pakistan, this has been
completely neglected.
Although Pakistan is an agricultural country, a fair share of its income comes from
the services industry e.g. banking, tourism, finance, and information technology.
These service industries need more educated people from the villages and rural
areas to move to the cities and work their share in the development of the country.
But that is not the case to be.
Reasons:
Unemployment, which is rendered to be one of the most problematic social issues,
is prevalent due to:
In the worst-case scenarios, children beg on the roads and in the streets. Dr.
Muhammad Imran Sharif, a renowned Psychiatrist, says child labor can lead to
childhood trauma that can manifest in later life. It’s quite an alarming situation.
Reasons:
The reasons behind child labor could be traced back to the parents in almost all the
cases, who send their children to work due to:
Poverty
Large Families; too many mouths to feed and too little earning
Societal attitudes; uneducated parents, ignorance.
Lack of awareness.
Minimum Wages.
Inability to access basic education.
Solutions:
Providing quality education to all children; regardless of background.
Vocational training and education for skill learning.
Programs to raise awareness among parents and the general population regarding
child labor.
Supporting the NGOs working for child betterment.
5- Poor Health Infrastructure
The healthcare system in Pakistan is defined to be one of the most corrupt sectors,
according to Transparency International. The doctors treat people like
untouchables, especially in public hospitals.
Much of the responsibility falls on the government, for being unable to build new
hospitals and upgrade the existing facilities.
Recently, the government has introduced Sehat Insaf Card for all the provinces,
which looks promising and a step forward in the access to healthcare for the
masses.
Reasons:
Unavailability of modern technology and machinery in the existing hospitals.
Lack of new hospital buildings to cater to the needs of an ever-growing population.
Shortage of trained doctors.
Refusal of medical graduates to work in rural settings.
Negative attitudes of doctors; high fees, bribery.
Solutions:
Effective training of doctors.
Increase in the health budget.
Public awareness.
Procurement of modern technology for the hospitals.
Corruption control in public healthcare projects.
6- Foreign Debts & Unstable Economy
Have you heard about the recent oil price hikes? Isn’t it just preposterous?
Most of the blame is being put on the government and its inability and helplessness
to get out of the shackles of the IMF and World Bank.
Due to this dependency and inability to take bold measures, Pakistan is being
burdened every day by huge foreign debts and economic instability; which in turn
is creating many, many problems for the country.
According to Dr. Ishrat Hussain, the notable Pakistani Banker and Economist, the
major economic challenges faced by Pakistan are poverty, unemployment, huge
foreign debts, low investment, and high fiscal debt.
Economic Instability is, without a doubt, one of the major social problems of
Pakistan right now.
Reasons:
Unemployment.
Political Instability.
Energy Crisis.
Lack of Policy Implementation.
Continuous Increases in Inflation.
Security Concerns.
The huge burden of foreign debts.
An imbalance between Imports & Exports.
Solutions:
There’s never a quick solution to balance the economy of a big country, with as
many people as Pakistan has, but someone has to take responsibility sooner rather
than later, starting from the implications of stronger policies.
These problems are interconnected and are affecting every segment of society.
First, we need to recognize them.