Poverty has risen since 2008, concedes govt

E-Paper | June 13, 2026

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: The ministry of food security has conceded that poverty has been increasing in the country during the past four and a half years of the PPP-led coalition government.

The Senate was informed on Thursday that as per estimates of the World Bank and the UNDP, 17.2 per cent of Pakistanis were living below the poverty line in 2007-08.

In reply to a query by Mrs Nuzhat Sadiq of the PML-N, the ministry said the number of people falling under the poverty line had been increasing constantly and more than 58 per cent population was food insecure by 2011.

It said that according to a study conducted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, 48.6 per cent of population was food insecure in 2009 and around 22.4 per cent was extremely poor.

The ministry said that the National Nutrition Survey, 2011, conducted by the Benazir Income Support Program showed that 58 per cent of Pakistanis were food insecure and 29.6 percent of them were suffering with hunger or severe hunger.

The reply said the ministry of food security had submitted a National Zero Hunger Program to the prime minister on March 21 this year. But the announcements made by the prime minister at that time have yet to be approved.

The food security ministry also informed the house about various measures being taken to improve agriculture output in the country.

Reacting to the ministry’s reply, ANP parliamentary leader in the Senate Haji Adeel said: “We are ashamed to be part of the ruling alliance when people are not getting food.”

Steel Mills: Minister of State for Production Khawaja Sheeraz told the Senate that Pakistan Steel Mills had suffered a loss of Rs21 billion during the current year and no stern action had been taken so far against those responsible. “Our ministry could do nothing since enquiries are conducted by the FIA,” Khawaja Sheeraz said. “So many enquires are conducted with no results.”

Senator Mushahidullah Khan, who is also PML-N spokesman, advised the minister to resign, but he said that his resignation would not turn Steel Mills into a profitable entity.

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Pakistan

Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with nearly 20 years of field reporting experience. He covers a diverse range of topics, including the internet, IT and telecom sectors, as well as religious affairs.

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farhat

Dec 15, 2012 08:37am

no doubt its true.....poverty has raise......not only poor but also our governors are still hungry for money and as well as food.....they can not stop themselves when they are served with meal.....to show our poverty rate to entire world it is enough to expose our politition having meal......as it has been seen in last few days in many occasions.

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Akram

Dec 16, 2012 11:42am

what is not clear is the causes of the increase in poverty, most reading will blame "corruption", but I suspect its more to do with the floods of 2010, the loss of security because of the war in Afghanistan leading to lower investment in Pakistan. When the war ends the situation should improve.

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ishrat salim

Dec 15, 2012 12:14pm

Sam...why are you singling out Karachi only ?....rich people are becoming richer all over the country & poorer becoming poor all over the country....

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Iqbal

Dec 14, 2012 09:52am

Hail democracy... they should fire themselves as government before conceding their failures

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Sam

Dec 14, 2012 09:21am

In Karachi rich people are becoming more rich and there is no middle class anymore.

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Amir

Dec 15, 2012 06:19am

What a shame, more than half of the country's population cannot afford to feed themselves. I know there are restaurants in Karachi that charge Rs,1500 to Rs,2000 per head. How can people afford morally to eat in these places when their fellow countrymen cannot afford to have Dal/Roti. Let us share our wealth (whatever little we have) with the less fortunate fellow citizens. Islamic history is full of incidences where a person gave away his food to feed another person, If we all share our food with few less fortunate people around us hunger can be eradicated from the country. Govt is impotent they are wise enough to know how to keep themselves in power without helping out the masses. PPP's founder mission/slogan of Roti, kapra, aur makan is down the drain.

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raw is war

Dec 15, 2012 12:57am

a disturbing picture.

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sunny

Dec 15, 2012 11:00am

this is the real picture of PPP. innocent people of pakistan are been heniously. main causes of the poverty are: 1. corruption: the most rampant of all 2. Tax evasion: only 1% of people pay taxes 3. Education: no governmant policy for education( but their exixts the policy to bring Balawal in Politics) 4. Health: new born babies becomce the victim of Mouse. and many a times die due to suffocation in the incubators because of loadshedding. no portable water and infact to madical facility for the poor of the country and the affulents can aslo go and vist the doctors in America, Dubai or ETC. infact Government policies have been failed and no solutions can be observed in future aslo; because the same faces will come with different political parties in the upcoming election. this is our furture

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Asif

Dec 15, 2012 05:08am

They should fire them, I would say people of pakistan needs to wake up and through them out of the office just like what arab countries are doing to their corrupt government.

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saad malik

Dec 15, 2012 01:20am

I am sure people who wanted democracy are happy NOW

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Nasser Ali Khan

Dec 14, 2012 04:20pm

The nation is NOT obliged to hear whether the government agrees with a report or not. All that the nation needs is that there is a report with facts and figures, which has been prepared by the relevant authority, and that this authority is TRULY independent, professional, and has followed laid-down correct procedures. And it is only then the nation passes its verdict. The time to pass verdict is coming much nearer now and it would depend on HOW this nation votes which will decide whether any change shall be for the better or the national situation just carries on deteriorating.

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mazharuddin

Dec 16, 2012 02:56am

It is true, but to overcome this menace what efforts have made by government? the luxuries and corruption of ruling elite is widely circulated but no one came ahead to prove himself honest before court even some have taken shelter outside of the country and died. The ruling elite involved in corruption, nepotism is indeed sucking blood of poverty stricken people. Reminding to innocent poverty stricken people on media the good deeds of their dead party leaders who ruled but their character too is suspicious of corruption, making the door for the dead children as the heir of throne but not paving the way to other people to show better performance. They are un-honest, their stomach and eyes are empty and hungry for everything since centuries showing the cause of subjugation and foreign rule over the region. God has given them chance to rule and showing their nature and habit before world. They do not feel shame over media making false speeches and claims.

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ali ahmed

Dec 16, 2012 08:55am

Thanks to lawyer movement .....

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