POVERTY CANNOT BE DESCRIBED, IT CAN BE FELT

                IF YOU CAN’T FEED HUNDRED PEOPLE THEN FEED JUST ONE

Poverty in Pakistan has fallen dramatically independent bodies supported estimates of a considerable fall in the statistic by the 2007-08 fiscal year, when it was estimated that 17.2% of the total population lived below the poverty line. The declining trend in poverty as seen in the country during the 1970s and 1980s was reversed in the 1990s by poor federal policies and rampant corruption. This phenomenon has been referred to as the "poverty bomb". 

At the time of the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Pakistan inherited the most backward parts of South Asia with only one university, one Textile Mill and one Jute Factory. Pakistan's major cities and urban centers are home to an estimated 1.2 million street children. These includes beggars and scavengers who are often very young.

Environmental problems in Pakistan, such as erosion, use of agro-chemicals, deforestation etc. contribute to rising poverty in Pakistan.

Over 50 percent of Pakistan's population is living below the poverty line, a World Bank report titled "World Development Indicators (WDI) 2015" maintains. The international poverty line is two dollars a day or an income of about Rs 205 per day in local currency. The report shows that 12.7 percent of Pakistan's population lives below $1.25 per day, which is categorized as extreme poverty.

The poverty headcount ratio at $1.25 a day is the share of the population living on less than $1.25 a day in 2005 purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. The PPP 2005 $1.25 a day poverty line is the average poverty line of the 15 poorest countries in the world, estimated from household surveys conducted by national statistical offices or by private agencies under the supervision of government or international agencies.

Poverty and the lack of a modern curriculum have proved destabilizing factors for Pakistani society that have been exploited by militant organizations banned by the government to run schools and produce militant literature. 

Hence, the government should take a step to expunge poverty from Pakistan and give relief to poor peoples and give the basic requirement to them for living.

ESTIMATION OF POPULATION IS BADLY NEEDED

With the census data from 1998 practically obsolete, it is fair to suppose that all of these important matters today are actually based on suppositions that have no grounding in measured reality. Without a clean and impartial census, we don’t really know the face of the country that we are trying to run and govern.

A new census is badly needed but the obstacles that stand in its way are formidable and need to be acknowledged. At the heart of the foot-dragging is the demographic make-up of Sindh that nobody is very keen to talk about. With the massive population influx over the years

There are a total of 166,801 blocks all over the country needing 375,000 soldiers to carry out the population counting exercise. But the meeting was informed that this number of army personnel cannot be spared by the army at the moment as troops are currently deployed for the ongoing Operation.

A second reason for delaying the census was that the process of registration of Afghan refugees had not been completed as yet.

There are estimated to be over 2.5 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan whose registration cards have expired or who remain unregistered. According to sources, the registration of Afghan refugees has been a major point of contention for provinces, especially Balochistan, which has refused to allow the holding of census before counting Afghan nationals is completed.

A third factor put forth during the meeting was the unavailability of government teachers, who would be required to carry out duties during the census.

Sources said that the meeting, led by the prime minister, decided to postpone the census bases on these reasons.

The new date of the population census will be announced after consultation with provinces, said the sources. The next meeting of the CCI has now been scheduled for March 25.

Precaution is better than illness

THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE ON THIS EID

Eid-Ul-Adha is a festival of Muslims that is celebrated all over the world. Eid-Ul-Adha is also known as the festival of sacrifice and sacrifice feast. Eid-ul-adha is celebrated on the tenth day of zul Hajj, the Islamic month according to the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid-Ul-Adha comes approximately after the seventy days of Eid-Ul-Adha.The festival of Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated in the remembrance of Prophet Abraham’s readiness to forfeit Ishmael, his son for god. The story about this festival tells how Abraham was ready to kill his son and remained true to God. The story tells, how Allah told Abraham, to lift up the foundation of Kaaba that was a holy place in Mecca. God also asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, in a dream. Abraham along with his son started moving towards Mina for the sacrifice.

Due to unavailability of free areas or grounds where animals can be kept secured from theft, people are resorted to tying these animals as close as possible. And that means either keeping them in their homes or outside their streets. Due to this, many of us are in contact with farm animals, which is unhealthy and unhygienic.

The widespread Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is also believed to threaten thousands in the country through the consumption of sacrificial animals in the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha.We do not realize that being in close contact with such animals increases our chances of catching the Congo Virus, which is extremely deadly and the death rate for the disease is quite high.

In 2012, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) disposed of 28000 tones of animal waste at four dumping sites, during the three days of Eid-ul-Adha. Once the animal has been sacrificed, people throw away slaughter waste wherever convenient without even thinking twice.

An expert at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Semi Jamal, said that people usually throw away the offal near their homes without thinking about the associated health risks.

It has also been recommended to establish veterinary posts at various provincial entry points to detect and curb the spread of the disease. Hence, the government should priorities this impending crisis so that so many human and animal lives can be saved from the viral disease that has already ravaged countries in Africa.