SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN PAKISTAN

A social problem is an issue/ problem that is social in origin and affects the general population. These problems are
interconnected and have obstacles in development.Be it poverty, dowry, lawlessness, or unemployment, these social problems
pose a significant impact on us.Unfortunately, Pakistan doesn’t hold an exception to these social evils!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.Unfortunately, in developing countries like Pakistan, these social problems remain prevalent and often go
unnoticed.

In Pakistan, one usually has to undergo many limitations; societal, familial, social, and psychological.
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:

1- Illiteracy
2- Poverty
3- Unemployment
4- Child Labor
5- Foreign Debts & Unstable Economy

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

Reasons:
The reasons for illiteracy, one of the major social problems in 2024, could be many; some of them are as follows:
1) No awareness regarding the importance of education in the far-fetched areas of Pakistan like Balochistan, KPK, Rural
Sindh, Southern Punjab, and FATA.
2)Different mediums of instruction and syllabi in public and private education sectors.
3)Unaffordable education.
4)Non-professional teachers with a minimal amount of training.
5)Gender discrimination.
Although the solutions to reduce illiteracy can take much time to bear fruit. The government can take immediate action to
counter one of the major social problems Pakistan is facing in 2024:

1)Increase the federal and provincial education budget.

2)Build new educational and technical institutes.
3)To encourage girls on governmental levels to go to school as females are more than half of the country’s population.

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.
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.
Reasons:
The main reasons for poverty in Pakistan are feudalism, unchecked inflation, endemic corruption, the inadequate management of
natural resources, the breakdown of democracy, and many other factors.
International variables like the global financial crisis, the rise in the prices, 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 such as:

1)Access to education for all.

2)Economic growth and development.
3)Creation of new jobs; raise in the minimum wages.
3- Unemployment
Pakistan is the 5th largest youngest country in the world with a 63% young population!

Unemployment is another major social issue in Pakistan, crippling the country’s economy, as a major part of its youth is
unemployed.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:
1)Lack of quality education.
2)Lack of opportunities for the youth.
3)No investments are being done in new, better projects.
4)Limited experience.
Solutions:
Some of the solutions are as follows:
1)Governmental support for new ideas and businesses by the youth.
2)Experience opportunities for fresh graduates.
3)Centers for youth to get trained in different technical skills.

4- Child Labor
All of us have seen these ‘ choruses’ sometimes working in a barber shop or a tea stall.

In Pakistan, many children are working to support their big families, at the cost of their education and life dreams. They work in
restaurants, department stores, workshops, and public transport.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:

1)Poverty
2)Large Families; too many mouths to feed and too little earning
3)Societal attitudes; uneducated parents, ignorance.
4)Lack of awareness.
5)Minimum Wages.
5- Foreign Debts & Unstable Economy
Have you heard about the recent oil price hikes? Isn’t it just preposterous?

All of us got hit by the recent price hikes. Be it petrol, electricity, or gas the problem is never-ending.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:
1)Unemployment.
2)Political Instability.
3)Energy Crisis.
4)Lack of Policy Implementation.
5)Continuous Increases in Inflation.
6)The huge burden of foreign debts.
7)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.

1)Reduction of inflation growth in the country.

2)Reducing imports and increasing exports.
3)Policies to make the agricultural sector more effective
4)Stable interest rates.
5)Positive impacts of the exchange rates.