THE fact that desperation born of extreme poverty can drive parents to murder their own children should shake the authorities out of their stupor to face a shocking reality. Last week, Multan police took into their custody a mother whose children died after consuming a toxic substance. The mother later confessed that she and her husband, who later took his own life, had poisoned their three children because of the family’s poverty. There have been other, similar cases where penury has claimed its victims in violent ways. Last year in January, a father of four in Karachi set himself ablaze because he was out of a job. A month later, another man in the city, unable to pay his debts or his rent, took his own life. It is a matter of utter shame that there should be few forums to turn to for help in a country where such wretchedness and despair exist.

Several economic analyses, including by international bodies such as the IMF, have predicted that poverty in the country will grow. According to one calculation, we may soon see up to 85m people below the national poverty line. Food prices in the last two years alone have increased by more than a third while the Covid-19-induced slump in the job market has forced thousands of families in the country to go hungry. The prices of almost all edible staples — wheat, flour, sugar, pulses, oil and fruit — have been on the increase, with the government, despite all its talk of aiming to be a welfare state, not being able to do much. There is a need for greater introspection, and the state must ask itself why, despite all its efforts to introduce poverty-reduction initiatives, it has not been able to help those in dire need. The irony is that Pakistan is recognised as one of the most philanthropic countries in the world. The government needs to focus on holistic multidimensional programmes that address socioeconomic vulnerabilities rather than tackle poverty as a one-dimensional issue.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2021