Pakistan: From Asian Tiger to Asian Struggler

Asem Mustafa Awan

Islamabad: He has passed his prime and is now working on the road where decisions are made that affect millions.

He works on the path leading to Constitution Avenue, home to the Supreme Court, President House, and Prime Minister House, among others.

The half-minute clip tells it all; the living example is the worker in the yellow vest.

It’s a bitter truth that the government shows little concern for its millions of subjects. The person trimming the branches is indifferent to the expensive cars whizzing past him, having accepted a fate that seems unchangeable.

He remains bound by the shackles of poverty. 

His appearance and worn-out clothes in the sweltering heat make him seem out of place among people in vehicles worth millions, with bank accounts to match.

He focuses solely on his work, trimming branches to ensure food on the table, knowing nothing beyond that.

He works amid insecurity, aware that if he fails to do the job, hundreds more are ready to take his place.

Such is the vicious cycle of poverty in Pakistan. Hope is scarce, and all the departments meant to aid the poor are rife with corruption, with embezzlement and misappropriations running into billions.

Reports from the Public Accounts Committee reveal that funds meant for education, health, and the poor are siphoned off by ‘corrupt officials’ who remain unpunished.

The accountability process moves at a snail’s pace, allowing ample time for evidence to be erased and witnesses to be bribed or even murdered.

This has happened before, and as more corrupt practices are unearthed, the penalties remain elusive. The recent wheat scandal is a glaring example, where inquiries took time to name those involved, despite knowing who made billions from the scheme.

In the “Land of the Pure,” half the population, around 110 million people, struggle daily to put food on the table, their lives slipping away due to hunger and disease.

Policymakers make international headlines, while the poor make small news with suicides—often involving entire families.

It has become common to read reports of people killing their families and then themselves, or women jumping into canals with their children, all driven by hunger.

The nation has also witnessed individuals, driven by hunger, placing “for sale” boards around their children’s necks, unable to afford even milk.

The country faces stunted growth, and the next generation, if ever given a chance by the powerful elite, will inherit this malnutrition.

Pakistan, once projected to be an Asian tiger, is reduced to an Asian struggler.

The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad and writes on a wide range of issues.

Photo Credit: Shazia Mehboob