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3) Roughly 70% of Pakistan lies in arid and semi-arid zones, characterized by highly
unpredictable and low precipitation, excessive evaporation, high transpiration and high
summer temperatures. Pakistan is one of the world’s most arid countries with an average
rainfall of under 240 mm. In the years when rainfall is normal or above, the country
generally doesn’t face any water shortage whereas in below average rainfall period it
does.
4) An estimated 40% of water that run through canals from the source to the farmers’ fields
is lost because of seepage. Water that seeps through the bed and sides of a canal is called
seepage loss. Seepage losses are significant in Pakistan because most of the canals are
constructed from sand or clay which has high permeability and are unable to hold water
for a long time.
5) The storage capacity of major reservoirs in Pakistan is reducing day by day. Each year
river Indus and its tributaries carry large quantity of sediments to Tarbela and Mangla
reservoirs. Sediments entering the reservoirs settle at the bottom and begin building up
with the passage of time. Sediments reduce storage capacity by occupying significant
volume of a reservoir which was previously occupied by water. According to the
Hydrographic Survey of 2017, the water storage capacity of Tarbela Dam had reduced by
40.58% due to deposition of sediments.
6) The increase in cultivation of water-intensive and high-yielding crops such as wheat, rice
and sugarcane have increased the consumption of water exponentially. For instance,
sugarcane consumes about 22.5 million liters of water per hectare during its 14-month
long growing cycle compared to just 4 million liters over four months for chickpeas.
Encouraged by government policies, farmers are naturally inclined to grow water-
intensive crops. The government buys wheat, rice and sugarcane at remunerative prices,
which encourages farmers to bring more area under cultivation. In addition, new
artificially modified seeds are used by farmers for producing higher crop yields but they
require more water than natural seeds.
7) At the international level, the Indus Water Treaty governs Pakistan’s rights to water from
the Indus Basin shared with India. India is building a chain of dams on Pakistani rivers in
clear violation of Indus Water Treaty and her exploitation of western rivers is creating
water shortage in the country. Indian projects on western rivers would enable India to
either reduce water flow to Pakistan or to release stored water and cause floods in
Pakistan. India’s violation of IWT poses an existential threat to Pakistan as it limits the
ability of Pakistan to manage and utilize its water resources. The Indian projects on
western rivers include Baglihar Dam, Kishanganga Dam, Sawalkot Dam, Bursar Dam,
Kirthai Dam and Salal Hydroelectric Project.
8) Lack of political will is one of the most important causes of water crisis in Pakistan. The
issue of water crisis has become a victim of political point-scoring with every
government blaming the previous government for not doing enough and paying only lip
service to ensure water security. No government ever thought or planned to utilize flood
water for irrigation purposes by building dams on seasonal streams and rivers. After
Tarbela Dam was built in 1974, no other large dam has been built since then to increase
the water storage capacity of Pakistan. Furthermore, provinces are fighting over the
distribution of water and building of storage facilities which has made it difficult to reach
consensus on the issue. Sindh accuses Punjab of stealing the water which should have
gone to Sindh. Punjab on the other hand refuted these allegations and claimed that it has
been using less water than its requirements to accommodate other provinces. Balochistan
criticizes Sindh for low water availability, as Balochistan is low riparian to Sindh.
Kalabagh Dam is the worst victim of this political game and point-scoring. It was
supposed to be built in 1980s but because of the dispute between provinces, it still hasn’t
been built.
3) Water crisis can be greatly curtailed by the construction of large dams. Large dams have
the capacity to store large quantity of water which can be used for irrigation purposes,
electricity generation purposes and controlling floods. Construction of large dams will
also allow Pakistan to compensate for the water losses due to silting in existing dams.
Moreover, the construction of large dams supplemented by additional canals will boost
agricultural output by storing and transporting water to arid and semi-arid areas which
experience scanty rainfall and high rate of evaporation. The available sites are Bunji,
Basha, Sakrdu and Kalabagh.
4) In the fight against water scarcity, every drop of water counts. Modern irrigation
techniques such as trickling and sprinkling should be applied to improve water
distribution and save water. Instead of flooding crops with large amounts of water, water
should be applied to crops in small increments only when they need it most. The existing
irrigation system in Pakistan is outdated and relies on traditional methods of irrigation
which results in water wastage.
5) Water is supplied to farmers at negligible cost which is why they don’t treat water as a
precious resource, therefore there is a need to increase the price of water to make farmers
realize the importance of this asset. Furthermore, a water tax should be imposed on
industries that consume large amounts of water. This will help in curtailing water
consumption in industries and compel them to make concerted efforts for using water
prudently.
6) Government should raise awareness among people about water crisis in Pakistan and
educate them about the importance of water conservation through electronic and print
media. Water crisis can be averted if people start using water carefully and avoid excess
usage at homes and offices. Government should arrange conferences and seminars in all
government institutions on the topic of water crisis in Pakistan and how to deal with it, in
order to inculcate water preservation habits in people and apprise them about the dangers
of water crisis in the country.
7) A reduction in the cultivation of water-intensive crops such as rice, wheat and sugarcane
will help in saving a lot of water. The government will have to choose between the water-
intensive crops and decide which crop should be grown in less quantity. The government
needs to curtail the area brought under cultivation by any one of the high water crops in
order to save water. Since wheat and rice are more vital by virtue of being a staple food,
the government should recede sugarcane cultivation for at least one season and try to find
a balance in the cultivation of these crops such that it doesn’t lead towards the shortage of
any one kind of crop.
8) By lining the canal beds and sides or reinforcing the canal bank, we can reduce the losses
that occur due to seepage, infiltration and leakage. This will increase the efficiency of
water flowing through canals and ensure that maximum water reaches the farmers’ fields.
9) Treating industrial waste water and making it clean for drinking and irrigation purposes
will have immense effect on the present water crisis situation. Industries should be urged
to comply with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines by properly treating their
waste water to ensure that it is of the same quality as it was when it was obtained and
only after that it should be discharged into rivers and lakes.
10) In addition, the government needs to invest in research and technology to come up with
new techniques that will make unclean water safe for consumption. Some of the most
frequently used techniques include Reverse Osmosis, Electro – dialysis Reversal, Solar
and UV Filtration, Desalinization and Nanofiltration. Deploying modern technology to
clean contaminated and sea water will increase the availability of clean water and help
Pakistan to avoid water crisis.
Conclusion:
From the above discussion, it is evident that Pakistan is facing acute water shortage. Time has
come for us to recognize our responsibilities and start taking steps in the right direction because
if we don’t take prudent measures to resolve water crisis now, it could turn into water riots and
finally lead to social catastrophe. The future of Pakistan is at stake and the only way out of this
predicament is water management and water development.
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Implications for Pakistan:
1) Water crisis in Pakistan will cause a reduction in hydropower potential of the country.
The single most important factor effecting the generation capability of a hydropower
plant is the quantity of available water. Hydropower plants take advantage of the
potential and kinetic energy of water to turn large turbines at high speeds and generate
electricity. Decrease in the quantity of water corresponds to decrease in potential and
kinetic energy which results in less electricity generation. Reduction in hydropower
potential will create energy crisis and lead to more load shedding in the country. In order
to compensate for the energy shortfall due to reduction in hydropower potential, Pakistan
will have no option but to increase the use of non-renewable energy resources like oil,
gas and coal which will increase electricity prices in the country.
2) Water crisis in Pakistan will have serious implications for the agriculture sector which
heavily depend on water from irrigation canals. Water crisis will deprive the agriculture
sector of its water requirements as a result, crops will not receive the optimum amount of
water required during the growth cycle. Water shortage will inevitably lead to low
agricultural output due to which the country will face shortage of food. Moreover, the
non-availability of water will lead to desertification as fertile land will become barren and
useless. In other words, water crisis will turn Pakistan from a food exporter to a food
importer country. To make matters worse, agriculture accounts for upto 21% of GDP as a
result, Pakistan’s economy will definitely suffer from low agricultural output. Pakistan’s
export earnings will decrease that will widen the gulf between import and export trade
and create an even larger trade deficit.
3) Water scarcity will aggravate the existing simmering tensions between provinces
concerning the distribution of water. The Water Apportionment Accord signed between
provinces in 1991 was aimed at putting an end to inter-provincial squabbling but the
looming water crisis will raise speculations about the validity of the accord. Water
scarcity will trigger water security conflicts in Pakistan, causing provinces to fight over
this precious resource. Shortage of water will cause disputes between provinces as each
province will criticize the others for usurping their water supply and depriving it of the
water it needs. If water is not distributed in a fair and impartial manner, it can cause
nationwide water riots to erupt and develop feelings of betrayal and alienation among the
provinces which may harm national integrity and harmony.
4) The agriculture sector employs nearly 44% of the total labour force in Pakistan and many
people are indirectly involved with this sector. Shortage of water will lead to less
agricultural output that will compel people to abandon farming and migrate to urban
areas in search of job and a better lifestyle. Hence, water crisis will cause unemployment
to increase and end socio-economic development.
5) Groundwater is a country’s last water security resort, it is tapped into when the surface
supplies run dry. Shortage of surface water will put tremendous pressure on groundwater
resources. People with less access to surface water will eventually resort to pumping
groundwater to fulfill their needs which will result in rapid depletion of groundwater and
cause the water table to fall even more. This means that the water level in water wells
will fall and most of them will run dry in a couple of years.
7) At the international level, the Indus Water Treaty governs Pakistan’s rights to water from
the Indus Basin shared with India. India’s violation of IWT poses an existential threat to
Pakistan as it limits the ability of Pakistan to manage and utilize its water resources. If
this situation persists, relations between Pakistan and India could deteriorate. The water
terrorism of India could escalate tensions and possibly lead to an armed conflict between
the two rival nuclear powers.
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Q2). The twentieth century witnessed the war of oil. The twenty-first century will witness
the war for water. Examine the practical implications of this statement on situation of
Pakistan. [20]
Ans. Introduction:
Water is one of the basic necessities of life and life without water is impossible. Fresh and
drinkable water is not only vital for sustenance of life but equally essential for socioeconomic
development. Water crisis is emerging as one of the biggest global challenges now a days.
Global water resources are diminishing at an alarming rate and water is becoming a scarce
commodity with every passing day. Water has become as precious as oil and is rapidly emerging
as a source of conflict between nations that share fresh water resources. Water scarcity will
motivate countries around the globe to fight over this precious resource and gain control over
them.
Global water crisis:
Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet water demand. If affects every region
and continent of the world and was listed in 2015 by the World Economic Forum as the largest
global risk in terms of potential impact over the next decade. The United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization stated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be experiencing water
scarcity and two-thirds of the world population will be living in water stressed conditions. A
region is said to experience “water stress” when annual water supplies drop below 1700 cubic
meters per capita and a region is said to experience “water scarcity” when annual water supplies
drop below 1000 cubic meters per capita. There will be a 40% gap between the demand for water
and availability of water by 2030. Global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by the year
2050, out of this 3.9 billion people or 40% of world’s population, will experience water scarcity.
According to World Health Organization, 2.3 billion people lack access to even basic sanitation
facilities and an equal number of people consume water from a source that is contaminated with
feces. Global Water Institute (GWI) estimated that as a result of poor sanitation, 1.6 million
people die every year from waterborne diseases.
Global water conflict:
Whenever a water source such as a lake, river or an underground aquifer crosses international
borders, water possession cum rightful ownership is often contested. The trans-boundary nature
of water resources is thus responsible for triggering water conflicts between states and
destabilizing regional harmony. There are about 261 major international river basins, covering
45% of the land surface of earth, excluding Antarctica and 33 countries have more than 95% of
their total land in such basins. Man has been utilizing these international watercourses for
thousands of years for various purposes like drinking, household uses, irrigating fields and
navigation etc. In earlier centuries, when population pressures were low and the idea of a
sovereign state was not fully established, peaceful utilization of these resources was being
carried out. In present century, rapid population growth has increased the demand for freshwater
not only in terms of drinking and irrigation but also in terms of hydroelectricity generation and
industrial usage. In addition, water resources are subject to change over space and time due to
precipitation and temperature cycles, which are becoming increasingly unpredictable due to
effects of climate change. Responding to this variability, upstream nations have altered water
resources through various engineering efforts such as construction of dams which have changed
the availability and quantity of water resources for downstream nations. The trans-boundary
nature of water resources thus connects upstream and downstream nations and makes
downstream nations dependent over upstream nations for water resources. An upstream nation
has greater access to water resources that originate in it or run through its territory before
entering a downstream nation, as a result upstream nations are able to extract maximum benefits
compared to downstream nations that are secondary users. Such a situation gives rise to ill
feeling and political tension which eventually culminates into an armed conflict. Some of the
notable water conflicts emanating from the trans-boundary nature of water resources are as
following:
1) China – India: The Brahmaputra River.
The Brahmaputra River is a 2, 900 km river that originates in Tibet and flows through India’s
Arunachal Pradesh state before merging with the River Ganges and draining into the Bay of
Bengal in Bangladesh. India is worried about China’s plan to build Zangmu Dam on
Brahmaputra River as it believes the dam will reduce the flow of water in the river and aggravate
the already tenuous water situation in the affected areas.
2) Ethiopia – Egypt: The Nile River.
River Nile is of crucial importance for Egypt’s agriculture, without the Nile there would be no
Egypt. Egypt threatened to go to war with Ethiopia in 2011 when it announced plans to build the
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on River Nile near the border with Sudan. Egypt believes that
the dam could potentially cut the flow of the Nile to Egypt and cause great damage to its
economy.
3) Turkey – Iraq: Ilisu Dam.
Turkey announced plans to build the Ilisu Dam to tap into the hydroelectric potential of both the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, once completed the Ilisu Dam will generate 1, 200 MW or roughly
2% of Turkey’s energy needs. Realizing the potential impact of the dam on water supplies in the
Tigris-Euphrates basin, Iraq opposed the construction of the dam on the grounds that it will
deprive the country of its due share in the water of these rivers.
4) China – Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam: Mekong River.
At nearly 5, 000 kilometers long, the Mekong River is one Asia’s most strategically important
transboundary watercourse. As China’s economy and energy demands have both expanded, so
have its plans for the Mekong. China has expanded its control of the Mekong River by building
new hydroelectric projects in order to bolster its energy security. This has created a conflict in
the region as Southeast Asian countries have protested Chinese activities on the river.
Implications for Pakistan:
Conclusion:
Countries around the globe are interconnected and interdependent by virtue of shared water
resources which makes water scarcity not the problem of a single country or region. Therefore,
water scarcity will have serious implications for the entire world. Countries need to come up
with solutions to quickly defuse this increasingly alarming situation or else we might witness a
century of wars fought over water resources.
Q3). Discuss corruption as number one problem of Pakistan. What practical and feasible
steps should be taken to eradicate this menace? [20]
Ans. Introduction:
Corruption is broadly defined as the misuse of public office for private gains. Forms of
corruption vary, but the most common are bribery, extortion, nepotism, patronage and
embezzlement. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political
opponents and general police brutality is also considered political corruption. Corruption in its
both petty and grand manifestations is rampant in Pakistan. Both forms are equally responsible
for the deterioration of governance and rule of law in the country. Petty corruption is prevalent
among the common people who face it in their everyday dealings especially in government
offices, whereas grand corruption is mainly found in development projects, bank loans and state
purchases. At present, no institution and no office of public sector is immune to corruption. It has
paralyzed every organ of the state and cost Pakistan billions of rupees every year. Transparency
International’s 2018 Corruption Perception Index ranked Pakistan 117th place out of 180
countries.
Adverse effects of corruption:
1) Corruption creates obstacles to local and foreign direct investment in Pakistan which
makes economic growth more difficult. In a country plagued by corruption, anyone who
wants to start a business has to deal with onerous bureaucracy who adopt delaying tactics
or create a plethora of regulations to create opportunities for extracting bribes. At the
company level, corruption raises costs, reputational risks, vulnerability to extortion and
introduces uncertainties. In such a situation, investors feel reluctant to invest in
companies because they fear losing their investment, as a result local and foreign direct
investment rapidly shrinks.
3) Corruption has undermined Pakistan’s tax structure and its revenue collection capacity.
Corruption leads to a significant loss in tax revenue collected in a country, which in turn
has adverse budgetary consequences. On one hand, people with money or personal
connections evade government taxes by concealing their assets. On the other hand,
common citizens refuse to pay taxes as they have grown distrustful of government and
believe that government officials syphon off tax revenues into their own bank accounts
instead of spending it on social development programs.
4) High levels of corruption have increased Pakistan’s brain drain problems. Corruption has
become a significant push factor in emigration of highly trained and qualified people to
developed countries. Lack of resources, poor infrastructure and discrimination in
recruitments are the by-products of corruption which are pushing talented people out of
the country. This is disastrous for Pakistan as it will deprive the country of some of its
great minds and create a shortage of skilled and competent people. Talented people who
migrate to other countries, become assets of their host countries where they take
advantage of the facilities offered to them and make breakthrough discoveries which sets
the country on the path to development.
5) Other than government offices and public sector, corruption has thoroughly permeated
the judiciary as well. Due to corruption, the judiciary has lost its status of being
independent in the sense that it doesn’t adjudicate in accordance with the constitution but
in accordance with the wishes of those people who are willing to pay bribes. Wealthy and
influential people are able to sway court decisions in their favour by paying large
amounts of money to judges, witnesses and prosecutor. The failure of judicial system to
remain impartial in the discharge of its duties breeds injustice which causes people to
become extremists. When people go through proper channels to get their rights but get
rejected, it instills hatred and hopelessness in people. People start losing faith in the
system and decide to take their rights by force which subsequently results in chaos and
anarchy.
6) Corruption has severely damaged Pakistan’s reputation in the world and made a corrosive
impact on foreign aid. Countries that are characterized as weak or corrupt are cut off from
foreign aid because they are accused of skimming off a significant portion of the aid
which leaves little aid for development that doesn’t produce the intended results. Critics
of foreign aid programs argue that aid is contingent upon the level of transparency in a
country, if a country has a history of embezzling aid money then donor countries feel
reluctant to provide aid. Decline in foreign aid leaves a country vulnerable and
economically unstable as it is unable to cope with the growing economic crisis on its own
and relies on foreign aid for proper functioning.
7) Corruption inhibits the growth of democracy. Corruption has snatched away the true
representative character from the democratic process in Pakistan. Democracy in Pakistan
doesn’t represent people because politicians often buy loyalties of people by engaging in
horse trading and spend huge amounts of money to buy voters and increase their chances
of success. Furthermore, party tickets are openly bought and sold which only benefit
those with money as they can afford to pay for the ticket whereas honest and
hardworking poor people are left behind. Huge sums of money are used for pre-poll
rigging and to expand political influence. This has resulted in the dominance of feudal
lords, capitalists and industrialists who neither possess the capability to manage the
affairs of the state nor have any interest in the development of the country. The elected
representatives then engage in massive corruption to reimburse their investment in the
election process and to grow rich in the process.
8) Corruption and money laundering are intrinsically linked. Money laundering is the
process of concealing illicit gains that are generated from corruption. It is a process
wherein illegally obtained funds are cleaned of their dirty criminal origin, allowing them
to be used within the legal economy without any fear of being confiscated. Corrupt
officials distort the facts and figures associated with government expenditure and channel
money from development projects into offshore accounts. Money laundering creates
shortage of funds which forces the government to borrow huge amounts of money at high
interest rates from other countries that traps it in the vicious cycle of debt. The ‘begging
bowl’ syndrome that has gripped Pakistan is a consequence of money laundering.
Dependency on foreign loans has not only shattered our economy but has also devastated
our self-determination and self-confidence and has forced us to submit to the demands of
our creditors.
Recommendations:
1) Whether civil servants are appropriately compensated or grossly underpaid will clearly
affect motivation and incentives. If civil servants are paid low wages, they may find
themselves under pressure to supplement their income in unofficial ways. The tendency
to earn extra money is reflected in the performance of civil servants as they adopt
delaying tactics which compels clients to opt for bribery for progress in work. To curb
this, the salaries of civil servants should be raised periodically.
2) Creating transparency and openness in all public affairs can eradicate the menace of
corruption to a great extent. Transparency makes authorities more responsible and puts
real power in the hands of public. Government officials should be asked to disclose
information regarding their strategy, actions and use of resources with the public and
avoid keeping the public in dark. Public should be provided access to information
regarding government spending to ensure that funds are used for public welfare purposes.
The information provided should be untampered, complete and relevant. Citizens should
be given the liberty to scrutinize government activities and debate the merits and demerits
of various public policies. This will send a strong message to all corrupt elements that the
public will see what they have done and will hold them accountable for their actions.
3) Direct contact between government officials and citizens provides many opportunities for
corruption. Direct contact involves payment in cash, which government officials can use
to their advantage as there is no transaction trail available for hard cash. One way to
address this problem is to promote the use of digital transaction. In case of digital
transaction there is a transaction trail which can be tracked and it is impossible to hide it.
Thus moving from cash transaction to cashless transaction will greatly help in the fight
against corruption.
4) Every ATM has a camera to keep watch on public while they withdraw their money. The
same concept should be applied to government offices to watch the performance of
employees and their dealing with public. Monitoring employees via audio and video
surveillance will make them realize they are being watched and keep them on their toes.
The pressure of being watched by supervising officers will restrain employees from
indulging in corruption and stimulate them to increase their productivity and
performance.
5) One of the most fertile sources of corruption in Pakistan is bureaucratic red tape. The
redundant and unnecessary procedures provide inefficient officials with an opportunity to
take bribes for services that are supposed to be free. Individuals are forced to pay bribes
to speed up handling of the procedures and bypass a number of steps which must be
completed to get a license, certificate or any other legal document from the government.
To eradicate red tape form of corruption, the government should remove as many
needless regulations as possible and only keep the essential rules which are crucial to the
functions of the state. Reducing the number of approvals required will therefore decrease
the likelihood of corruption.
6) Corruption often goes unchallenged when people don’t speak about it. A whistleblower is
a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal and
unethical within an organization. Whistleblowers often face reprisal in the form of legal
action, criminal charges, societal disapproval, harassment and termination from job. In
light of these risks, many potential whistleblowers prefer to remain silent, which impedes
authorities’ ability to combat corruption. The government should grant legal protection to
whistleblowers and give them a full pardon, hence preventing judicial proceedings
against them. In addition, the government needs to institutionalize financial rewards so
that employees can feel confident and motivated to expose corruption within their
organization.
7) Punishing corruption plays a key role in deterring future corruption. If potentially corrupt
people know that they will get away with corruption with a light sentence, they are more
likely to take the chance of committing corruption than if they know they will be sent to
jail for a long time or banned from holding a public office for many years. The only
feasible way to prevent people from engaging in corruption is by presenting a deterrent
greater than the incentive to break the rules and that deterrent is severe punishment.
Therefore, whenever somebody gets convicted of corruption, they should be severely
punished.
8) The government should support across the board accountability, from the person holding
the highest office to the person holding the lowest office in the country should be gauged
by the same level of accountability and no one should be spared. Under the accountability
program, employees should be asked to declare their assets upon taking office. Their
assets will be periodically monitored during their tenure as well as towards the end of
their tenure. In case of any discrepancy, an explanation will be sought from the employee
and if found guilty, strict action will be taken against him. In this way, the declaration
and regular monitoring of assets will surely inhibit corruption.
9) Minimizing unnecessary political interference can prove to be a turning point in the fight
against corruption. While politicians do have to maintain a working relation with
government institutions and bureaucracy, it turns problematic when they use key
institutions to further their political goals. Let’s take Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
as a test case. One reason why PIA became such a corrupt enterprise is because it has a
history of political interference. Political interference led to the hiring and firing of
employees at the personal whims of politicians who wanted to reward loyalists. PIA
employs 630 employees per plane compared to only 245 employees per plane by
Emirates. Therefore, political interference should be minimized and institutions should be
strengthened if we are to wipe out corruption.
11) The role of media is critical in promoting good governance and controlling corruption. It
not only raises public awareness about corruption, its causes, implications and possible
remedies but also investigates and reports incidences of corruption. Politicians and senior
public officials lose their jobs as a consequence of public outcry or legal proceedings
after their misdeeds are exposed to public light by the media. Even if media reporting
doesn’t result in the ouster of a public office-holder, it is instrumental in prompting
authorities to launch a formal investigation of their own. Furthermore, media can curb
corruption by identifying flaws or weaknesses in laws and regulations that create a
climate favorable to corruption. By doing so, authorities are prompted to consider
changing those laws and regulations. Considering the role of media in curtailing
corruption, government should support media outlets, protect journalists who put their
life in danger while investigating corruption, grant freedom of expression and access to
information.
Conclusion:
In light of the aforementioned reasons, it is clear that corruption is the number one problem of
Pakistan. Corruption is the mother of all illnesses and almost every problem in Pakistan can be
attributed to corruption. The recommended steps will surely eradicate the menace of corruption
and bring peace and development in Pakistan.
Q4). Population explosion is emerging as the greatest threat to the economy of Pakistan.
Comment. [20]
Ans. Introduction:
Population explosion in Pakistan is among one of the biggest challenges which the country faces
today. Pakistan being one of the high-fertility countries had a population of 33 million in 1950
and ranked 14th worldwide but today, its population has reached 206 million making Pakistan the
sixth most populous nation in the world, after China, India, United States, Indonesia and Brazil.
Pakistan’s population is equivalent to 2.63% of the total world population and has a population
density of 260 people per square kilometer. With an annual growth rate of around 2.2%,
Pakistan’s population increase is not expected to stabilize in the next three decades even if
Pakistan was to put in place a successful population control policy. It is estimated that the
country’s population will double and cross 400 million in the next four decades. Major factors
responsible for high population growth in Pakistan are high fertility, low contraceptive
prevalence rate, custom of early marriages, strong desire for male child, need for more earning
hands, polygamy practice, poverty, illiteracy, lack of recreational activities, religious constraints,
lack of women empowerment and failure of proper implementation of government’s population
planning policies.
Threats to economy:
1) Threat to agriculture:
High population growth will prove detrimental to the agrarian status of Pakistan. Majority of the
lands that were once part of the country’s vibrant agricultural landscape are now being turned
into houses, factories, hospitals, shopping centers, educational institutions, roads and railway
tracks. High population inevitably leads to low agricultural output by reducing the land available
for farming which eventually creates shortage of food in the country. In other words, high
population will turn Pakistan from a food exporter to a food importer country. To make matters
worse, agriculture accounts for upto 21% of GDP as a result, Pakistan’s economy will definitely
suffer from low agricultural output. Pakistan’s export earnings will decrease that will widen the
gulf between import and export trade and create an even larger trade deficit.
2) Effect on water demand:
Exponential population growth in Pakistan has dramatically changed the calculus of water
demand, resulting in a reduced water availability per capita. An inverse relationship exists
between per capita water availability and population, a higher population growth rate thus results
in reduced water availability. Population explosion is one of the most important reasons behind
water crisis in Pakistan due to which Pakistan’s water resources have started diminishing at an
alarming rate and water is becoming a scarce commodity with every passing day.
3) Division of land:
High population growth increases the man-land ratio. High population means that land will be
divided and distributed among many people as a result of which the per capita availability of
land for cultivation will decline as each person will inherit less land. In this way, population
growth causes balkanization of land, breaking large sized lands into multiple small sized lands. A
small sized land results in less agricultural output and less profit which makes the adoption of
modern technological means of irrigation and mechanization nearly impossible to finance.
Consequently, farmers owning small sized lands are unable to increase the yield of their crops
and rely on traditional outdated forms of farming.
4) Unemployment:
A rapidly increasing population plunges the economy into mass unemployment and under-
employment. As population increases, the proportion of workers to total population rises. In such
a situation, the demand for work is more than the available occupations and the gap between
supply and demand no longer remains. Since there are always limited jobs and it is not possible
to provide employment to all people, as a result many individuals actively seeking jobs remain
un-hired. The economy suffers due to unemployment as human resources go to waste and no
constructive use of skilled workers is made.
5) Low per-capita income:
The growth of population tends to retard the per capita income in an economy because national
income is divided by a large size of population. Per capita income falls when population growth
rate exceeds the rate of economic growth in a country. Whatever increase in national income
takes place, it is nullified by the increase in population hence there is no significant improvement
in per capita income.
6) Less capital formation:
Population growth retards capital formation. On account of rapid growth of population, the
percentage of dependents increases which in turn harms the economy because children simply
consume and don’t add to the national product. As a result, people are required to spend a major
part of their income on bringing up their children. Consequently, their capacity to save capital is
diminished which in turn, adversely affects capital formation.
7) Inflation:
Rapid increase in population is an important cause of inflation. It is a fact that more resources are
required to satisfy more number of people. With the increase in population, the demand for
goods and services also increase but the supply of goods and services cannot be raised overnight.
This creates an imbalance between the demand and supply of goods and services, as a result
prices start to rise and inflation is caused. Inflation has a very bad effect on the economy of a
country. For instance, uncertainty about future inflation may discourage investment because the
value of money investors will receive from their borrowers later will be lower than the value of
money they gave before. High inflation may lead to shortages of goods if consumers begin
hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future.
8) Increases cost of infrastructure:
A rapidly increasing population necessitates large investments in social infrastructure in order to
accommodate the growing number of people which increases the expenditure of government and
reduces national savings. National infrastructure is pitiable in Pakistan and the growing
population will only serve to push an already staggering infrastructure to the verge of
breakdown. Investing capital in social infrastructure such as houses, factories, hospitals,
educational institutions, roads and railway tracks will absorb most of the capital and leave little
for economic development.
9) Increases demand for energy:
A rapidly increasing population necessitates large investments in energy resources in order to
satisfy the energy needs of the growing number of people which increases the expenditure of
government and reduces national savings. Pakistan is facing severe energy crisis and the growing
population will further increase energy shortfall in the country. Investing capital in energy
projects such coal power plants, oil power plants, nuclear power plants and dams will absorb
most of the capital and leave little for economic development. Furthermore, the production rate
of energy resources like oil, gas and coal is very low in Pakistan and not enough to meet the
requirements of the country. Thus, increasing population will lead to more import of these
resources which will put a great strain on the economy.
10) Deforestation:
Scarcity of land due to rapidly increasing population pushes large number of people to
ecologically sensitive areas such as hillsides and forests. It leads to deforestation to provide more
room for planting crops, grazing livestock and building houses. Deforestation has various
negative economic consequences. It decreases economic income by reducing the number of
tourists visiting forests because no one wants to see polluted rivers, tree stumps and a wasteland
with no animals. Deforestation also drives climate change, therefore the cost of damages caused
by natural disasters triggered by climate change can be attributed to deforestation.
Conclusion:
In light of the aforementioned reasons, it is clear that population explosion is emerging as the
greatest threat to the economy of Pakistan. Overpopulation is the mother of all illnesses and
almost every problem in Pakistan can be attributed to overpopulation. Pakistan needs to start
working immediately on population control before it is too late. However, Pakistan’s crucial
challenge in the coming decades is going to be the question of how effectively the country
manages its young population.
Q5). Enumerate the measures adopted by HEC for promotion of higher education and
qualitative research in Pakistan. [20]
Ans. Introduction:
Established in 2002, the HEC has been charged with spearheading the government’s higher
education reform initiatives, with an ultimate goal of transforming Pakistan into a knowledge-
based economy. Plans designed to propel the country into an era of ‘enlightened moderation’
include promotion of higher education and the training of a new generation of academics. The
education reforms outlined below suggest that the government is aware of the fact that survival
in the global context requires initiatives that fosters the development of workforce able to satisfy
market and industry demands.
Measures adopted by HEC:
1) Accreditation and quality assurance:
The present quality of higher education in Pakistan is very low as measured by teacher
qualifications, publications, participation in international conferences and significant research
findings. The HEC has put quality improvement and relevance at the top of its agenda and
established as well as implemented a stringent quality criteria as per international standards to
assess the performance on both the program and institutional levels. The task of accreditation
and licensing, which was previously assigned to provincial and federal legislative assemblies,
has now been adopted by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) under the purview of the HEC.
The new body brings together members of academia, both domestic and foreign, with a mandate
to enforce standards in higher education and encouraging continuous improvement by reviewing
higher education benchmarks and quality criteria. In order to meet these new quality
benchmarks, public universities have established Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs), which are
responsible for implementing quality assurance policies as outlined by QAA.
2) Faculty development and promotion of excellence in learning and research:
If quality standards are to be improved, it is critical that university faculty be better qualified and
exposed to better research opportunities. With keeping this in mind, the HEC launched a range of
faculty development programs that include increased research support at the masters and PhD
levels, creation of new programs to enroll more students in PhD courses, increased scholarships
for international and domestic graduate programs and support for post-doctoral fellowships. Tied
to these initiatives are financial incentives such as a new tenure track system, research grants and
high academic salaries. Recognizing that the creation of new knowledge through research is the
key to driving innovation, more than 25 Central Research Laboratories have been in public
universities. These research centers have been supported with major investments in information
technology, such as the creation of a large Digital Library, which provides faculty members with
access to thousands of scholarly publications. Similarly, more than 333 research programs have
been funded in collaboration with international institutions such as the British Council.
3) International scholarship programs:
More than 4,200 Pakistani students are currently on scholarship for graduate programs abroad.
These include masters and doctoral programs at leading universities that are either fully funded
by government of Pakistan or are collaboratively funded with private donors and foreign
governments. The HEC brokered generous scholarship agreements with the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the Fulbright Commission in Pakistan. Under these
programs, funding of $150 million has been made available for 640 students to study at US
universities. Under a bilateral agreement with the Australian government, 500 students have
studied in Australia under the Australia Pakistan Scholarship program.
4) Importing foreign talent:
As efforts are made to improve the domestic stock of researches, efforts have also been made to
repatriate Pakistani academics working abroad. A Foreign Faculty Hiring Program has been
established to attract qualified foreign faculty members to the nation’s universities. To date,
almost 350 such expatriate faculty members have been recruited, over half of whom have
committed to assignments of more than one year and many others have taken permanent
positions. Foreign experts from industrialized countries have also been invited by the HEC on a
short-term basis to provide guidance to students in a variety of critical areas. In addition to
attracting foreign faculty, federal funding of more than $5 million has been made available to
build academic relationships between universities in Pakistan and those in foreign countries.
5) National Research Program for Universities (NRPU):
NRPU is one of the flagship programs of HEC, which is aimed to meet researchers’ challenges
and requirements, promote research and development activities and avoid brain-drain. Under this
program, research grants are awarded to academia and researches on competitive basis. The HEC
gives 568 research awards to different universities across the country each year. The distribution
of awards is 199 for federal area, 214 for Punjab, 80 for Sindh, 69 for KPK and three each for
Balochistan and AJK. The HEC approved 203 projects of different universities worth Rs 808
million in 2016 and released funds amounting to Rs 365 million for 82 projects in 2017.
6) Establishment of foreign university campuses:
In collaboration with universities and government agencies from Germany, Norway, Sweden,
South Korea, Austria, China and others, technology-focused universities have been built in
different cities across Pakistan. Priority of location is being given to areas which are closer to
industrial sectors so that these initiatives could stimulate university-industry linkages. Foreign
universities in Pakistan adhere to the educational standards of their country, offering their own
curriculum and awarding degrees of their country. Foreign universities in Pakistan include
College of Accounting and Management Sciences in Karachi and Grafton College of
Management Sciences in Islamabad.
7) Increasing access:
Rapid population growth has led to heavy economic demands on the national budget, therefore
increasing access and participation in higher education continue to be a priority for the
foreseeable future. The HEC launched an ambitious program to increase the number of
universities which not only increased enrollment rates but also reduced the burden on other
universities. To make access to education easy for students in less developed areas and
geographically remote cities and villages, HEC have increased distance learning programs. HEC
is expanding the programs of Virtual University of Pakistan as well as those of Allama Iqbal
Open University. It is hoped that with increased access to distance learning education,
opportunities will be available to a larger portion of the society and at greatly reduced costs.
Conclusion:
While the HEC programs represent hope for the future of higher education in Pakistan, the
enormity of the task facing the HEC cannot be overstated. Decades of neglect have drawn
universities in Pakistan and specially the higher education sector to levels which are
incompatible with the ambitions of the country to develop as a competitive economy. The
government must ensure proper implementation of all HEC reforms in order to develop a strong
education system.