Reality bites

Amidst hysteria on the possibility of a conventional war between India and Pakistan, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the welcome prospect of a joint war on poverty within the two countries. Days later, Modi raised the poverty issue – something on which Pakistan needs to learn from India. Boisterousness aside, there is little for Pakistan to learn from India in the fight against poverty. Both countries have performed miserably when it comes to the task of bringing their populations of out extreme poverty. A timely World Bank report titled ‘Poverty and Shared Prosperity’ confirms the dire need for India and Pakistan to set their priorities straight. Pakistan and India both face a difficult road to eradicate poverty. The average income of India’s poor is growing slower than the national growth rate. This makes Modi’s claim of learning lessons from India’s success to be another empty shell. But there is little reason for Pakistan to celebrate. While the income of Pakistan’s poorest has increased more than the national growth rate, the four percent growth rate itself is nothing to boast about.

The reality is that neither country knows how to win the war on poverty. While poverty levels are marginally lower in Pakistan, with 45 percent of people making $3.10 per day, compared to 58 percent in India, the country continues to perform poorer than India on other measures. Life expectancy in Pakistan is lower as is adult female literacy. Infant mortality and undernourishment in Pakistan is also higher than India. If we were to compare the performance of the two countries, none of them has a better tale to tell. While it may give some pleasure to find arguments to reject Modi’s ‘learn from India’ line to Pakistan, the more sombre point is that both countries are doing terribly for their most vulnerable populations. How can comparative performance be a cause to celebrate when both countries are competing for who is performing worst?

Hassan Khan

Lahore