IN the midst of politicking and various crises — both natural and man-made — the social sector in Pakistan, especially where the state’s responsibility regarding health and education is concerned, has been relegated to the back burner.

While issues such as putting out-of-school children into the classroom and improving health service delivery inevitably surface during election time, once in power, the political parties do little to back up their lofty promises.

Hence it is good to see Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah bring the social sector onto the political agenda. As reported on Tuesday, Mr Sharif has responded positively to Mr Shah’s suggestion that the health and education sectors need attention and that a ‘charter’ should be drawn up to address these critical areas.

Also read: PM asks Shah to formulate charter for social sectors

While factors such as terrorism and natural disasters have kept governments busy over the past few years, it is also true that both the federal and provincial administrations have neglected the social sector, seemingly abdicating the state’s responsibility to NGOs and charities.

Indeed, many of these outfits have done commendable work in their areas of focus, but this does not mean the state can be absolved of its constitutional duties that mandate it to oversee the people’s social welfare.

If the Millennium Development Goals are taken as a barometer, while progress has been made in certain areas, the overall picture where meeting the goals is concerned is grim.

Punjab has fared comparatively better than the other provinces, but even in this province the situation is far from ideal.

The PPP led the previous federal government, while the PML-N is currently in the driving seat, and both have led Sindh and Punjab, respectively, for the last six years.

Yet what visible improvements have these parties brought to the health and education sectors in this period? The idea of a social charter is a welcome one, provided all political stakeholders come up with workable goals and have the will to pursue them.

Instead of politicians issuing a bunch of fiats, what parliamentary parties should do is consult with area experts to come up with progressive solutions to Pakistan’s social problems.

There are numerous dedicated individuals in this country who are doing their bit in the private sector to address social challenges.

The politicians must seek out such individuals, listen to them and formulate a plan. Thereafter, the commitments must be honoured and not discarded with the next change of government.

Published in Dawn, November 19th , 2014