SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF

PAKISTAN
DANEYAL MIRZA - L1F09BBAM0240

SUBMITTED TO
SIR . ASHRAF YOUSAFI
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What is a problem?

A problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites

resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known
purpose or goal. A problem implies a desired outcome coupled with an apparent deficiency,
doubt or inconsistency that prevents the outcome from taking place.

What is a social problem?

There is no universal, constant, or absolute definition of what constitutes a social problem.

Rather, social problems are defined by a combination of objective and subjective criteria that
vary across societies, among individuals and groups within a society, and across historical
time periods.S

Objective and subjective elements of social problems

Although social problems take many forms, they all share two important elements: an
objective social condition and a subjective interpretation of that social condition.

The objective element of a social problem refers to the existence of a social condition.
We become aware of social conditions through our own life experiences, through the media,
and through education. We see the homeless, hear gunfire in the streets, and see battered
women in hospital emergency rooms. We read about employees losing their jobs as
business downsize and factories close. In television news reports we see the anguished
faces of parents whose children have been killed by violent youth.

The subjective element of a social problem refers to the belief that a particular social
condition is harmful to society, or to a segment of society, and that it should and can be
changed. We know that crime, drug addiction, poverty, racism, violence, and pollution exist.
These social conditions are not considered social problems, however, unless at least a
segment of society believes these conditions diminish the quality of human life.

By combining these objective and subjective elements, we arrive at the following definition:

a social problem is a social condition that a segment of society views as

harmful to members of society and in need of remedy.
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SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF PAKISTAN

Introduction

Pakistan suffers from a number of social, political, and economic problems. With a
population roughly half that of the United States in an area slightly less than the size of two
California's, Pakistan is experiencing unwanted growth. While projections indicate that the
population growth rate of Pakistan may actually be decreasing, those same projections also
predict that by the year 2050 Pakistan will have assumed its place as the third most
populated nation in the world. A rapidly growing population, along with political tensions,
both internal and external, and an economy trapped in a cycle of debt, all serve to prevent
Pakistan from attaining the progress it needs to advance, and perhaps to survive.

INTERNAL PROBLEMS

War against terror

The tragedy now unfolding in Pakistan is occurring due the pursuit of shortsighted policies
by the United States as well as the Pakistan government and military. The US has
pressured Pakistan into engaging in brutal military operations in Bajaur and Swat, with no
regard for how this would affect its own vital interests in the region. The Pakistani rulers
(bedazzled by the glitter of all those promised billions) have meekly complied in waging war
on parts of their own people, again with no thought to the likely outcome for them and their
country. The main impact of this has been to the civilian population, some million and a half
of whom have been displaced (with many killed and maimed, although no figures for these
are yet available).

Taliban are the real threat that the United States faces in this theatre, and recommended
what might be a rational policy for it to pursue. This was to first shore up Pakistan instead of
waging a war in Afghanistan (with Pakistan forced to act in a supporting role). A failure to
do this risked losing Pakistan to the Islamists, which would render pointless whatever the
US could achieve in Afghanistan. The likelihood of such a policy being adopted is nil,
unfortunately, since the present administration has continued the Bush practice of letting
generals set national policy in this theatre. The generals are fixated on their war in
Afghanistan, and Pakistan figures only as an often-reluctant subordinate player in their
operations.

Whatever the actual chain of events that transpires, the great (and avoidable) tragedy is
that the policies the US is pursuing in the region greatly increase the likelihood of the loss
of Pakistan to the Islamists. The frightening consequences of this, for both Pakistan and the
US, are easy to imagine. Any successes the generals can achieve in their war in
Afghanistan would be meaningless; military campaigns divorced from the real needs of
national policy usually end up as expensive failures. The pages of history are littered with
them.

Solutions:

1) Try to reconcile with our strayed brothers

2) Try to employ forces into the danger areas
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3) Try to figure out the root of the terrorism

4) Stop the nurturing of extreme islam

Monstrous Debt

Pakistan's chief problem is a monstrous debt. Without monetary resources with which to
fight the numerous problems of the nation, Pakistan remains overpopulated and poor. The
debt accrued by Pakistan has come from several sources. Primarily this debt has
accumulated due to the continuing conflict with India over the Kashmir region. Kashmir is a
predominantly Muslim state within India. As such, the possession of this region has been a
source of contention between mostly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan. This border
conflict has been raging on and off for the last half of the twentieth century. Due to these
hostilities, the Pakistani government spends roughly one fifth of its budget on its military,
further limiting potential spending on social improvements and programs.

Due to all of these sources of debt, half of government expenditures are dedicated to
fulfilling debt repayment obligations. In order to finance these payments, additional grants
and loans are required each year totaling approximately 25% of revenues. This prevents
Pakistan from devoting significant resources to economic development and/or social
improvements

Solutions:

1) Dig out your natural resources to fullest

2) Make you country safe for foreign investment
3) Utilize your own resources
4) Don’t sell out your raw materials instead make industry and utilize it
5) Be the debt giver not the taker

Education

Perhaps the greatest loss comes in the area of education. Whether or not this is a direct
result of Pakistan's economic problems, it is undoubtedly connected. With so many
resources directed towards the aforementioned debt payment, educational improvements
are given and inordinately low priority. In addition, Musharraf's military dictatorship has
understandably not placed great emphasis on education in Pakistan. This is evident upon
examination of Pakistan's overall literacy rate of 37.8% (50% for men and 24.4% for
women). Literacy being defined as those over 15 who can read and write.

In terms of population, low literacy rates are often observed with high population growth. A
poorly educated population is unlikely to participate in family planning or any other form of
population control. Secondarily, a poorly educated populace makes Pakistan a poor choice
for the foreign investors that it so desperately needs. Furthermore, the extremely low literacy
rate among Pakistani women (24.4%) lends itself to a society where most women never
enter the labor force, creating less incentives for them to limit the size of their families. This
is best illustrated by the fact that only 38 million of Pakistan's 141 million people make up the
entire labor force.
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Solution:

1) Build more schools

2) Make education cheap
3) Higher the standard
4) Apply single education system
5) Make sure the population is going to schools by awareness

Poverty

Deeply linked to the massive debt and poorly educated people, is the large portion of
Pakistan's population that lives in poverty. With an average of 2,000 dollars of GDP per
person (adjusted for purchasing power parity), the average citizen is forced to live off very
limited resources. This is reflected in the fact that 34% of the population lives below the
poverty line, despite a mere 7% unemployment. Pakistan's lack of fiscal resources is yet
another barrier against foreign investment. Without foreign investment, Pakistan lacks the
resources to bring about positive economic development. Without positive economic
development, Pakistan is unable to attract foreign investors. Without foreign investors... you
get the point.

Solution:

Make sure the poor gets equitable jobs

Make sure loans are given so that the poor can utilize them

Make sure the minimum wage is enough for the poor

Help the poor start new ventures to earn their living

Government

Formerly a federal republic, Pakistan's now military controlled dictatorship is a large part of
the problem. With Pakistan's constitution suspended, and its parliament disbanded, any
potential aid given is not guaranteed to reach its intended recipient. General Musharraf's
regime has yet to win the support of the international lending community, as the World Bank
has refrained from issuing an endorsement of Pakistan. Until democracy is restored in
Pakistan it will be very difficult to affect any kind of positive change in other areas that so
desperately need it.

Solutions:

1) Make steps towards real democracy

2) Force the government to be fair towards election
3) Make sure the right person is selected by the people

Excessive Population
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Simply put, the world can only support so many people with the resources that we
have available to us. These scarce resources include fresh water, fossil fuels, and
food that the earth provides. No one knows exactly what the carrying capacity of the
earth is, however we do know that there is a finite number of people who can live on
this planet. It is not desirable to reach this point, where our resources limit us to a
point where growth is impossible. To avoid this situation we need to begin working
towards lower population growth rates in every country around the world. It is
especially important, though, to limit those growth rates in countries where they are
highest and have the greatest potential to reach these undesirable limits.

This graph displays both the actual and projected growth rates for Pakistan over the next 50
years. It is easy to see that the growth rate is expected to decline, however, since the
population will be nearly triple what it is now, even a small growth rate produces a large
increase in population.

Solution:

1) Make sure the awareness of less children is effectively spread

2) Make sure the poor rural people produce less off springs
3) Put bans on more children

Energy Problems in Pakistan & solutions

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Pakistan is in big trouble due to less energy in the state so here are some new solutions to
it:

 Most of the new reactor designs are third-generation pressurized-water reactors

(PWR), although companies in China, France, and South Africa are looking to build a
fourth-generation design called a gas-pebble-bed reactor (PBMR).
 The new reactors are supposed to be inexpensive to build, more powerful, and safer;
and they can be operated for up to 60 years, according to nuclear - power trade
groups. Most of the new reactor designs are third-generation pressurized-water
reactors (PWR), although companies in China, France, and South Africa are looking
to build a fourth-generation design called a gas-pebble-bed reactor (PBMR).
 The new reactors are supposed to be inexpensive to build, more powerful, and safer;
and they can be operated for up to 60 years, according to nuclear - power trade
groups. Nuclear-industry officials have long said that the majority of growth would
come in Asia
 . Japan is building five new power plants by 2010, and China plans to build 30 nuclear
reactors, based on domestic designs, by 2020. China also sees nuclear technology
as a major export opportunity, say industry analysts, and is building its second of four
power plants for Pakistan, which may lead to a larger order. India has nine power
plants under construction, including a fast-breeder reactor that generates its own fuel.

Socio Economic Problems

The most beautiful moment in the life of humans is when someone of their own blood calls
them ‘mama’ or ‘papa’. Parents want to provide the newborn with the best of everything. He
is pampered, protected and taken care of. The blissful period of childhood soon gets over,
and the little human infant grows up to be an adult ready to face the challenges of the world
he was born in. He sees around him with a hope of finding the same perfection in everything
which his parents had provided him with. In no time, he realizes that the Utopian concept of
a perfect world should be confined to the fictional Island created by Thomas More in his
widely renowned novel only. That Utopia was far from reality and had nothing to do with the
world around us. It’s a world abound with countless problems- social, economic, legal,
political, spiritual and the list goes on.

Certain social and economic conditions become a menace for the society when they start
asserting negative influence on the society. Usually those social needs which persist in a
society for long period of time without being fulfilled owing to restrained budgetary scenarios,
they turn into socio-economic problems. The major problems of a society are linked with the
providence of basic necessities of life to the people making up the society.

 If the basic needs of man- shelter, food and clothing are not fulfilled, the deprivation
of these needs gradually transform into different forms of social menaces. In the
context of Pakistan, owing to the fact that it is a developing nation, there is no wonder
that it is engulfed with a number of social and economical problems. The real issue is
not the presence of these problems in society because, as stated earlier, there is no
concept of an ideal society in the world. Every country in the world has its own set of
socio-economic problems. The main issue is the extent and intensity of the socio-
economic problems of Pakistan which have soared to alarming levels. I will discuss
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some major social and economic problems that are of serious concern for social
scientists and political economists.

Social Problems

Pakistan has been facing a lot of social problems since its inception in 1947. In the start
there were the problems of lack of funds, rehabilitation of refugees, poor infrastructure and
widespread poverty of masses. Quaid-e-Azam tried his best to solve these problems and get
the state machinery working but due to his sudden death, he could not eradicate these
problems completely. Subsequent governments didn’t pay considerable attention towards
solution of various social problems and thus they grew with the passage of time and became
social evils.

At present the gravest problem that Pakistan is facing is its precarious law and order
condition. Terrorism has become a headache for federation and a nightmare for public.
Government has been helpless in eradicating terrorism despite beefing up security in
metropolitan cities. Public seeks answer to the question that what is their fault for which they
are being punished by the terrorists? People have become numerical figures, blown up in
numbers every now and then. Terrorists have not spared any place. Bazars, mosques,
educational institutes, offices, hotels- you name it and the place is not safe any more.

Besides terrorism there are other social problems which are older and more widespread.
The biggest of these problems is poverty. 70% population of Pakistan lives in villages. Most
of them don’t have access to adequate basic needs of life. They are struggling for bread and
butter. A large chunk of population lives below poverty line. They live in miserable
conditions. Lack of proper food, clothing and shelter, poor sanitation, unsafe and sometimes
contaminated drinking water are just some of their many problems. Poverty itself gives rise
to various other social problems. It deprives children of poor people to access education and
healthcare. A sense of deprivation manifests itself in form of various crimes. That is why
every now and then we read crime stories in newspapers that are characterized by lower
orders of society who adopt illegal channels to get the financial prosperity which they can not
achieve otherwise.

Illiteracy

The literacy rate lingers on 56% and ironically it also includes those people who can read
and write their name in Urdu. Over the decades, despite decreasing, illiteracy rate in
Pakistan has shown an upward trend. Not only that but enrollment ratio of students at
primary level has shown a decreasing trend. The fact that 50 percent of children do not
complete their primary education testifies this fact. Uneducated adults contribute negligibly
to the national exchequer. Despite spending millions on it, government has failed to achieve
literacy rates comparable to other countries in South Asia. Private sector is doing
commendable job for the promotion of educational culture in Pakistan, but its main objective
is money-making. Schools and colleges are opened as a business prospect and thus many
of them lack quality.

Solution:

1) More schools
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2) Cheap education

3) Education awareness

Corruption

Corruption is another huge social problem. According to latest report of Transparency

International, Pakistan has been ranked at 42nd number among the most corrupt nations of
the world. From clerical staff to higher offices and bureaucrats, all are involved in corruption
of one kind or the other. Corruption in government departments is so much deep-rooted that
a common concept prevails that the system doesn’t let honest people to work peacefully.
There is a lack of accountability due to which wealthy people and those in power are sure
that they can’t be held responsible for their deeds. So they keep on looting the national
treasures and find ways to legalize their black-money. Many corrupt people don’t even
bother to do that.

Solutions:

1) Good and effective accountability bureau

2) Check and balance should be kept

3) Salaries and compensations should be increased

Unemployment

Unemployment is also regarded as a major social problem. Major portion of Pakistan’s

population consists of youth and a large number of young people who have the ability and
are willing to work are unemployed. Currently rate of unemployment as per official resources
is 7.4% but according to some private estimates the arte of unemployment is 12%. There
are many reasons of unemployment like influx of machinery that has replaced manpower,
lack of new industries and defective education system. But the impacts of unemployment are
more serious and dangerous. People who don’t find work here migrate to other countries
with better prospects. Also, people tired of making both ends meet due to unemployment
indulge in nefarious activities and ratio of crimes increases.

Solutions:

1) Easy jobs should be given

2) Equitable distrubtion

3) Unemployment aids

Child labour

Child labour is widespread in Pakistan. Whether in bigger cities or in small villages, we find
innocent malnourished children employed in various forms of labour. They are working as
welders, mechanics, plumbers, electricians and in industries like carpet-weaving, glass and
football making. Meager wages are paid to these children and no facilities for education are
provided. Media and NGOs have always condemned child labour. In past, some countries
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refused to import those goods from Pakistan in whose making children were employed. But
despite all these factors, due to growing inflation and poverty, parents are bound to send
their children to work to light their stoves.

Solutions:

1) It should be banned

2) Its should be penalized

3) Centres should be made to treat the child labour with effectivness

Population expansion has been a real issue of concern for all governments. With limited
resources it is very difficult to cater to the needs of growing population. There is a great
economic disparity among the people. Poor are committing suicides out of hunger while rich
are busy amassing more and more wealth. These social problems directly affect the
masses. Apart from these there are several economic problems which have broken the
backbone of national treasury.

Economic Problems
1) Economic prosperity serves as a backbone for the overall progress of a nation. One thing
is common in all developed nations- they are economically sound. When citizens of a
country are freed from the worries of earning a livelihood to sustain their lives, they divert
their attention to more useful things. They focus on education, improvise healthcare, develop
technologies that make life easy and much more. Poor economic condition is the root cause
of so many problems that exist in a society. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s economic conditions
are pathetic. As if power crises, lack of foreign investment for the development of industrial
zones, backward and out-dated technology were not enough, Pakistan’s indulgence in war
on terrorism served as a fatal blow to the already crumbling economic state.

2) Result is that all our important industries that once served as an important contributor to
the national GDP have been closed down. Sugar, cement and shoe industry is on its
downfall while textile industry is breathing its last. Foreign investors are not ready to setup
their businesses in Pakistan. They have their own set of problems which include painful and
lengthy procedure of getting licenses and work permits in Pakistan, power crises, terrorism
and declining exports. Multinational Companies are reluctant to open their offices and
franchises in Pakistan. More than 70 MNCs have already packed up their business from
Pakistan.

3) Stock Exchanges also depict a true picture of economic meltdown. Instable political
system, dictatorship in its worse form and non-effective democracy badly affect the rates of
stocks listed on the three stock exchanges of Pakistan. During this year, many times Karachi
Stock
Rate of inflation was never a two-digit figure in Pakistan, but in recent years it has seen an
unprecedented increase

4) Northern areas of Pakistan have been a place of great tourist attraction. The beautiful
hills, the lush green valleys, shimmering lakes and flowing waterfalls brought many a tourist
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form all over the world to Pakistan. This contributed to foreign exchange. Tourism Industry
was one of the booming industries of Pakistan.
5) Due to war on terror, local people of war-ridden areas are migrating to other areas of
Pakistan. Country has seen the largest migration since independence in 1947. These people
have left their homes, businesses, possessions and property back home

Environmental Issues

A number of serious environmental problems are present in Pakistan, which are of great
ecological concern in terms of its sustainable economic future. These include:

Soil erosion, pesticide misuse, deforestation, desertification, urban pollution, water logging &
salinity, freshwater pollution and marine water pollution just to name a few.

The major constraint to overcoming these problems, infact perhaps the main contributor to
their intensity is the explosive rate of population growth, which is very high in contrast to the
natural resources that are available to the people. Also included in the constraints is the
unsustainable use and management of these resources. Around 150 million people live in
this country, making it the seventh most populous country in the world. The rate of
population growth is one of the fastest and according to estimates it would double in just 25
years (UNDP 1997). What is obvious from this is, if the population continues to grow at this
rate, it would take a severe toll on the environment. The main reason is poor management
and sustainability of natural resources owing to it being a developing country. Water, already
a scarce commodity in most parts of the country, is now facing further shortages. This is also
due in part to inadequate distribution and the coercion of the water-tanker mafia. This
shortage is hindering the country's potential to develop agriculture.

Water

The main water sources in Pakistan are rivers, glaciers, rainfall and groundwater. The
rainfall pattern is extreme due to the varied topography of the country. Average rainfall is
between 50 to 1000 mm but in the isolated northern mountains it may exceed 2000 mm. On
the other hand the dry areas receive less than 125 mm on an average. Almost 75% of the
country receives less than 250 mm annually. The rainfall is dependent on the two monsoon
seasons, the most important being the Southwestern monsoon between June to September.
The high temperatures mean that there is high evaporation, which leads to loss of water
everywhere.

 Pakistan occupies the basin of three major rivers, which is of considerable importance
to the country. Indus (70% of total land area), Kharan closed basin (15% of the total
land area) and the Makran coastal basin (15% of the total land area) are the three
basins, with the Indus basin representing the largest potential. It mainly draws its
water from snow melting and precipitation. The surface waters of the rivers have not
been used effectively, as they are seasonal and irregular.

 Around 90% of the food and fibre production depend on irrigation. Irrigated land is
82.3% of the total arable land and surface water is mainly relied upon for irrigation.
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 Considering Pakistan's environmental scenario, it becomes increasingly obvious that

water issues are the most pressing. Human health, agriculture, rangelands, forests,
water bodies, and aquatic life, in fact the whole ecosystem is affected by problems
associated with water. Pollution of water bodies by effluents from industries and the
sewerage system have compounded the problem.

Freshwater Pollution - Chemical waste:

Almost all chemical waste is dumped untreated into the river system from where it is taken
out to sea. A large number of industries discharge deadly and toxic waste into storm-drains,
open nullahs or in the Lyari and Malir rivers. These include leather tanning units,
pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, refineries, chemical, textile, paper and pulp, engineering
works and thermal power plants

Sewage:

The discharge of sewage and contaminated water in rivers and water bodies not only affects
marine production, but its use for agriculture results in the contamination of the food chain.
In Pakistan, sewage water is re-channelled to irrigate crops, which contaminates them with
pathogens. As a result 50% of the crops are contaminated. Groundwater may also be
contaminated by untreated sewage. Water borne diseases are the largest killers in the
country and health problems resulting from polluted water cost a large amount of money.

Agricultural run-off / pesticides:

Indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilisers ensure that agricultural run-off from fields also
contributes to water pollution. Extensive use of agricultural chemicals has already started
affecting aquifers.

Marine Pollution

The seas have been used as dumps for ages, mainly due to the misconception that
whatever is put into them gets diluted. However, the truth of the matter is that most of the
contaminated water entering the sea has a density different to that of the natural seawater.
This means that it does not mix and in fact settles down at the bottom of the ocean as

Remedies and solutions as a whole

Successive governments have taken steps to solve various socio-economic problems. But
these problems are so deep-rooted that they have not been successful in putting an end to
these problems. The problem lies in the fact that government focuses on one factor and
ignores the others related to it.

 For example, much emphasis is laid on beefing up security in big cities in wake of
terrorism. But nothing serious has been done to seal the unlawful entrance of arms
from across the border. Acids and explosive materials used for destruction by atomic
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bombs are easily available in market at cheap prices. Ministers and other government
officials enjoy the facilities of squads of armed body guards while public places like
markets, roads, shopping centers, bus stands etc are not adequately protected. To
control terrorism, government needs to stop fighting the proxy war on behalf of USA.

 Secondly, there is a sheer need to curb corruption at all levels. The institutions of
NAB and FIA should be made more powerful to curb corruption. Culprits should not
be allowed to escape out of country. Rather strict punishments should be imposed on
them. Not only they should be strictly dealt with, but the wealth looted by them should
be recovered and employed for the welfare of people. Judiciary should be an
independent institution. Currently Pakistan has experienced a new era in the history
of its judicial set-up. Judiciary is powerful but we have yet to wait and see the results
of independence of judiciary in Pakistan.

 Thirdly, poverty reduction should be top priority of government. Cottage industry and
self-business should be promoted. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s
economy. It should be strengthened by providing loans to farmers. Free of cost
educations should be provided to children in villages. Overall standard of living needs
to be improved and inflation should be controlled.

 Lastly, for economic development, energy crises should be controlled. New dams
should be built and new methods of producing electricity should be utilized.

Conclusion:
As stated in the start of essay, no country is free from socio-economic problems.
These problems are present in every country but the winners are those who
overcome most if not all of them. Though Pakistan is currently facing a lot of socio-
political and socio-economic problems but it doesn’t mean that it is going towards its
end. Nations face multifarious problems but together they work for towards the
solution. The same is the need of hour. Government as well as every single citizen of
Pakistan has to play its own specific role to bring about a positive change.