Poverty is primarily a political issue, caused and maintained by factors of a macro nature and by institutions which function in a specific, political, environment. At a macro economic, national level the choice of economic strategy based on class alliances and political expediency (as well as international factors) may have a severe bearing on the way people live. Poor economic performance filters down to increasing poverty for a large and growing number of people.

The lust and corruption characterizing the successive rulers of this country, has played maximum havoc, with each trying to outdo the other in squeezing the blood out of this country. Our leaders talk of poverty and improving living conditions of the poor but they have never tasted the bitter taste of poverty. They don't know how a poor man earns his bread. How he tolls and struggles from dawn to dusk just to feed his children. Could any of our leaders dare to spend a day or so with a poor and see closely what troubles he goes through? Will they leave their luxurious villas, airconditioned cars, comfortable offices and come down to spend a few days with the workers? It is very easy to talk about poverty in the election campaigns, but very difficult to feel it and genuinely find ways to help the poor.

Pakistan is not preparing for the technological challenges of the 21st century. It spends only $3 per capita on real human priority concerns, compared with $133 in the republic of Korea, $123 in Malaysia and $9 in India. The neglect of Pakistan's human resources arises from a feudal society that places low value on the lives of the ordinary people except at election times. Pakistan is spending 125% more on its military compared to education and health of its people. According to Human Development Report, just one year's purchases of arms by Pakistan is enough to provide safe drinking water to about half the country's population or extend basic education to all children currently out of school.

F A I L U R E O F G O V E R N M E N T I N S T I T U T I O N S

* Government policy has been incompatible with the economics and sociology of the poor. The low income housing policy has been unaffordable for the poor and in most cases, low income houses have been bought by the members of the middle class.
* Government has paid more importance to buildings than to basic education, to expensive hospitals than to primary health care and to piped water in high income urban neighbourhoods than to cost-effective community water taps.
* The poor in Pakistan whether in rural areas or in the cities, have no representation in farming policies. Most of the technocrats who give a physical shape to the political thinking have also been from the middle classes and have not only a poor understanding of the poor, but look upon them with suspicion and hostility.
* The unplanned areas in the cities of Pakistan consist of Katchi Abadis and squatter settlements, have almost all been developed by informal sector entrepreneurs through the illegal subdivision and sale of state land. Most poorer households have been unable to acquire land for a house, credit or technical advice from government agencies. Therefore, they have generally turned to the informal, semi-legal or illegal land market to acquire a plot on which to build.
* Since the early 1990's, the IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programmes have had a major impact on the country's economy. Because of their austerity drives, privatization, cut back in subsidy, reduction in development expenditure, and a cut in the fiscal deficit have all helped to maintain, if not create, poverty. Clearly, these policies do not play a poverty alleviation role.
* Some of the attempts made by the government towards alleviating poverty have been well meaning, but have been at a micro level with a narrow focus. They have often ignored the causes for the existence of poverty in the first place.
* To setup a small cottage industry, a poor man has to seek permission, licenses and utilities' connections from countless government departments. Once he gets going, another dozen departments start collecting their monthly share.
The government policy does not focus much on making wages compatible with cost of minimum standard of living.

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Money won't buy happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem.