Development divide
IMBALANCED human development lies at the root of the polarisation and perennial conflict witnessed in Pakistan. A recent report District Vulnerability Index for Pakistan, released by the Population Council late last year, is a scathing comment on the disparity in human development across Pakistan. The report has ranked the four provinces based on a range of social vulnerability indicators. These include types of homes (katcha/ pukka), access to transportation, livelihood resources, and access to health and education facilities across various districts.
The report reflects the quality of life of people living in different regions. Its findings highlight some troubling facts. Of the 20 most vulnerable districts in the country, 17 are located in Balochistan. Not a single district in Punjab falls in this category. Conversely, out of the 20 least vulnerable districts, 13 are located in Punjab. Of the remaining seven, four are located in Sindh’s Karachi Division, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one in Balochistan.
This distorted development is more evident when different indicators are analysed. Punjab does better than all the other provinces in terms of the quality of housing. In Balochistan, two out of every three homes are ‘katcha’ or ‘semi-pukkah’ being made of mud, straw, or unbaked bricks. Sindh has the highest percentage of single-room houses. Intra-provincial unevenness, too, is alarming. In Karachi South, only three per cent of houses are katcha/ semi-pukkah, whereas in Sindh’s Sujawal district, 84pc of houses fall in this category.
Sanitation facilities are considered an important indicator of healthy living. In Karachi Central, only 0.5pc of houses lack a toilet. In contrast, 59pc of houses in Tharparkar and 67pc in Kohlu (Balochistan) lack these basic facilities.
The most vulnerable districts should be targeted for progress.
Populations dependent on agricultural incomes remain the most vulnerable cohort due to their heightened exposure to disasters and climate shocks. Karachi’s Korangi area is the best-off in this regard, where only 1pc of households depend on agriculture as a source of livelihood. In sharp contrast, 17.8pc of households in Sindh’s Jacobabad district and 26pc in Sohbatpur (Balochistan) owe their livelihoods to agriculture, which are exposed to climate shocks.
Unemployment is another important determinant of social vulnerability. Karachi Central has the lowest unemployment rate at 5.7pc, followed by Gujrat (Punjab) at 6.8pc. Balochistan has the highest unemployment rate at 23.4pc and Punjab the lowest at 11pc. Sindh has an unemployment rate of 14pc. Ironically, Sindh and Balochistan are the major contributors of mineral resources, including oil, gas, coal and metals. Both provinces have sea ports and Karachi has the highest industrial concentration, which provides employment to hundreds of thousands of people from other provinces. Higher unemployment in the two provinces indicates some serious policy and governance gaps at the national level.
In the health sector, Karachi and Lahore take the lead in terms of accessibility, with residents generally able to find a basic health facility within a kilometre. However, in Karachi’s Malir district, residents have to travel around 34 km to reach the nearest basic health facility. The distance to a health facility in North Waziristan is 66 km, and 67 km in Kohlu.
Karachi Central district has the highest concentration of education facilities. Within every 10 square kilometers, there are 30 primary schools. In comparison, Sohbatpur has only five schools within the same area. In terms of high schools and colleges, Karachi Central has 16 institutions per 10 sq km, whereas Tharparkar has only 0.01 within the same area.
On the climate vulnerability index, four districts of Karachi — Central, Korangi, South, and East — are the safest places. Washuk (Balochistan) and Tharparkar are among the most vulnerable districts of the country.
These statistics reveal that Balochistan is the most vulnerable province in the country. Despite its many shortcomings, Karachi appears to be ahead of the rest of the country in many aspects of human development.
Most of the rural areas are susceptible to social deprivation. This disequilibrium in development should be corrected through targeted development interventions. Development plans at the national and provincial level should prioritise backward and vulnerable districts to improve the standard of living. As deprivation spirals in rural areas, people migrate to big cities, which eventually takes a toll on urban infrastructure and services. Human development in urban and rural areas is interdependent and neither can progress at the expense of the other.
The writer is a civil society professional.
Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2026