28. Social Problems of Pakistan: Causes, effects and solutions
What are the major social problems of Pakistan?
According to multiple studies following are the major social issues in Pakistan:
Causes of widespread unemployment
⦁ Swelling population
⦁ Poor education system-- student lack skills
⦁ Low internal and external investment ratio
⦁ Slow pace of industrial growth---
⦁ Agriculture sector is in shambles owing to indifference of successive governments
Impacts on the society
⦁ Surge in crime rate
⦁ Extremism and terrorism
⦁ Soaring poverty
⦁ Moral degradation
⦁ Suicides
Recommendations
⦁ Check on population growth
⦁ CPEC-- Integrate CPEC with our employment-generation plan
⦁ Vocational training centres
⦁ Coordination between market requirements and educational institutions
⦁ Sustained economic growth and improvements in economic structure to absorb incoming people
⦁ Entrepreneurship should be encouraged with adequate availability of funds to young entrepreneurs.
⦁ Total population:207,774,520 (207 million) : males 106 million (51 %), females 101 million (48.5 million) and 0.5% transgender.
⦁ Punjab 11 crore, Sindh 4.78 crore, KPK 3.05 crore, Balochistan 1.23 crore, FATA 50 Lac, ICT 20 Lac
⦁ Current growth rate 2%, fertility rate 3.8%, Urban share 36%, Rural 64%.
Causes of speedy growth
⦁ Illiteracy--unemployment--less use of contraceptives
⦁ Misinterpretation of religion---against infidels,
⦁ Regressive tradition-- early marriages, keep trying till a boy is born
⦁ Women dependence on men---
⦁ Failure of government in spreading awareness about family planning
Effects on the society
⦁ Burden on scant resources-- water emergency etc.
⦁ decreasing per capita income, increasing poverty (low living standards)
⦁ Governance challenge
⦁ Pollution
Recommendations
⦁ Country-wide emphasis on education particularly women education
⦁ Awareness about family planning
⦁ encourage use of contraceptives
⦁ Changing mindsets: early marriages should be banned through legislation
⦁ Eradication of poverty--women employment
⦁ we can follow Chinese model as well ( one child , incentives to small families etc)
Fast Facts
⦁ Reports from nongovernmental organizations have further unveiled that 11 children below the age of 18 face sexual abuse on daily basis.
⦁ There is a total of 10% increase in child abuse with the highest ratio in 2016.
⦁ 6 percent of the perpetrators are family members involved in child abuse other than sexual abuse.
⦁ over 17000 cases reported since 2013
Causes
⦁ Late marriages
⦁ Lack of sex education (to child particularly)
⦁ Pornography
⦁ No law exists to curb this evil practice
⦁ victims are not encouraged to raise voice
Recommendations
⦁ Sex education to children
⦁ Media awareness campaign
⦁ Frankness between Parents and children
⦁ Parents must monitor their child
⦁ Strict laws to punish monsters
⦁ In 2015, Anti-Narcotics Force told senate committee that 700 people die every day due to drugs-related problems
⦁ Only 70 million were allocated for drug-addicts in 2017-18 budget (Rs 11/addict)
⦁ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its 2013 report, 6.7 million are drug addicts-- 78% are men and 22% are women
⦁ section 54 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) 1997 directs governments to dole out funds for the establishment of rehabilitation centres. Section 52 asks for registeration of all drug-addicts
⦁ Age group of drug users is between 15 and 64
⦁ Afghanistan is the source of drugs in Pakistan (75% heroin production in world)
Types of drugs used
Causes as listed by ANF
⦁ Increased availability of drugs at low prices.
⦁ Rapidly changing social norms which place new demands on individuals for which drugs offer a false solution.
⦁ Lack of jobs and economic frustration.
⦁ Lack of proper interest in education, peer pressure and negligence of parents.
⦁ Existence and operation of drug dens.
⦁ Lack of drug education within the family and in educational institutions.
⦁ Apathy on the part of community leaders in responding to drug abuse symptoms
Few reasons for initiating drug use
Solution
⦁ The habitual committing of criminal acts or offences by a young person, especially one below the age at which ordinary criminal prosecution is possible. It is used for children between 10 and 17.
⦁ Currently there are 3000 children in juvenile jails--- 615 in Punjab,
⦁ Total juvenile jails are 7-- 2 in Punjab, 4 in Sindh, 1 in KPK,
⦁ Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000 --- This law regulates juvenile delinquency in Pakistan.-- Children if under 18, produced within 24 hours in juvenile court, treated well, children be detained in borstal institutions where trained and given education, cant be awarded death penalty-- it was put to abeyance in 2004 by LHC.
⦁ Recently, on May 18, 2018 , Juvenile Justice System Act 2018 was passed--- juvenile courts, rehab centres, observation homes, birth certificate to determine age, similarly it asks for establishment of provincial committee to oversee cases (not set up yet ). PPC recognizes crime committed by child under 7 as non-congnisable offence as opposed to UN convention which sets age at 12,
⦁ According to Bartol & Bartol, (1986) legally a juvenile delinquent is one who commits an act and by law it is considered as illegal and adjudicated “delinquent” by an appropriate court.
Causes of JD
There are various causes of juvenile delinquency namely;
⦁ According to Alexander (1996), factors which are responsible for juvenile delinquency are: broken homes, delinquent community environment, bad company, and peers in the school and, society slums with criminal neighborhood, poverty, unemployment.
Recommendations
⦁ Educated mother
⦁ more juvenile centres across Pakistan
⦁ improve living conditions of people
⦁ Moral education to teenagers
⦁ Role of media is crucial
⦁ In jails, police staff requisite moral training
⦁ According to ILO, Child Labour is defined as work that has the potential to deprive children of their childhood, their dignity and is also harmful for their physical, moral and mental development and it interferes with their education (either by not allowing them to attend school, leaving school prematurely i.e., without compulsory education or forcing them to combine school attendance with heavy work.).
⦁ According to the national child labour survey, approximately 12-13 million children below 14 years are working as a labour in Pakistan. June 12 is declared as Day against Child Labour. It primarily exists in the informal sector of employment as well as the home-based industry.
⦁ The Government of Pakistan has ratified ILO core Conventions related to child labour: Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)---below 14 is considered child
Legislation related to Child Labor
⦁ 1. The Children (Pledging of Labour) Act 1933 (applicable in all provinces)
⦁ 2. The Employment of Children Act 1991 (applicable in Balochistan and ICT)
⦁ 3. The Employment of Children Rules 1995 (applicable in Balochistan and ICT)
⦁ 4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2015
⦁ 5. Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act 2016
⦁ 6. Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act 2016
⦁ 7. Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2017
Other aspects
⦁ Punishment for upto 1 year and fine of 20,000
⦁ Child cant work for more than 7 hours
⦁ A child cannot be employed for arduous work---transportation, port, construction of railway, ship-breaking, electrical wires over 50 volts, pesticides production, coal or mines, stone-crushing, Tobacco etc.
⦁ The government needs to address the issue to let children reach their full potential.
Causes of Child Labour in Pakistan
Recommendation
According to multiple studies following are the major social issues in Pakistan:
- Unemployment
- Overpopulation'
- Child Abuse
- Drug Addiction
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Child Labour
- Bonded Labour
These issues have far-reaching effects on overall growth of Pakistani society. Unless the state of Pakistan addresses the underlying problems, there is not way that the country treads a forward journey of prosperity and success.
Major causes of social problems in Pakistan
·
Bad Governance--weak service delivery institutions
·
Political instability
·
poor law and order situation--judicial system
·
Widespread corruption at all levels
·
Illiteracy
·
Poor economic growth and structure--unemployment
·
Misinterpretation of religion
·
Exponential population growth and poverty
·
Regional disparity
1. Unemployment
 |
| PBS: Unemployment rate in Pakistan |
⦁ Swelling population
⦁ Poor education system-- student lack skills
⦁ Low internal and external investment ratio
⦁ Slow pace of industrial growth---
⦁ Agriculture sector is in shambles owing to indifference of successive governments
Impacts on the society
⦁ Surge in crime rate
⦁ Extremism and terrorism
⦁ Soaring poverty
⦁ Moral degradation
⦁ Suicides
Recommendations
⦁ Check on population growth
⦁ CPEC-- Integrate CPEC with our employment-generation plan
⦁ Vocational training centres
⦁ Coordination between market requirements and educational institutions
⦁ Sustained economic growth and improvements in economic structure to absorb incoming people
⦁ Entrepreneurship should be encouraged with adequate availability of funds to young entrepreneurs.
2. Overpopulation
Fast facts on overpopulation in Pakistan⦁ Total population:207,774,520 (207 million) : males 106 million (51 %), females 101 million (48.5 million) and 0.5% transgender.
⦁ Punjab 11 crore, Sindh 4.78 crore, KPK 3.05 crore, Balochistan 1.23 crore, FATA 50 Lac, ICT 20 Lac
⦁ Current growth rate 2%, fertility rate 3.8%, Urban share 36%, Rural 64%.
 |
| PBS: population growth in Pakistan in last decade |
Causes of speedy growth
⦁ Illiteracy--unemployment--less use of contraceptives
⦁ Misinterpretation of religion---against infidels,
⦁ Regressive tradition-- early marriages, keep trying till a boy is born
⦁ Women dependence on men---
⦁ Failure of government in spreading awareness about family planning
Effects on the society
⦁ Burden on scant resources-- water emergency etc.
⦁ decreasing per capita income, increasing poverty (low living standards)
⦁ Governance challenge
⦁ Pollution
Recommendations
⦁ Country-wide emphasis on education particularly women education
⦁ Awareness about family planning
⦁ encourage use of contraceptives
⦁ Changing mindsets: early marriages should be banned through legislation
⦁ Eradication of poverty--women employment
⦁ we can follow Chinese model as well ( one child , incentives to small families etc)
3. Child abuse
Fast Facts
⦁ Reports from nongovernmental organizations have further unveiled that 11 children below the age of 18 face sexual abuse on daily basis.
⦁ There is a total of 10% increase in child abuse with the highest ratio in 2016.
⦁ 6 percent of the perpetrators are family members involved in child abuse other than sexual abuse.
⦁ over 17000 cases reported since 2013
 |
| Statistics: Child abuse |
Causes
⦁ Late marriages
⦁ Lack of sex education (to child particularly)
⦁ Pornography
⦁ No law exists to curb this evil practice
⦁ victims are not encouraged to raise voice
Recommendations
⦁ Sex education to children
⦁ Media awareness campaign
⦁ Frankness between Parents and children
⦁ Parents must monitor their child
⦁ Strict laws to punish monsters
4. Problem of drug addiction in Pakistan
Fast Facts⦁ In 2015, Anti-Narcotics Force told senate committee that 700 people die every day due to drugs-related problems
⦁ Only 70 million were allocated for drug-addicts in 2017-18 budget (Rs 11/addict)
⦁ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its 2013 report, 6.7 million are drug addicts-- 78% are men and 22% are women
⦁ section 54 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) 1997 directs governments to dole out funds for the establishment of rehabilitation centres. Section 52 asks for registeration of all drug-addicts
⦁ Age group of drug users is between 15 and 64
⦁ Afghanistan is the source of drugs in Pakistan (75% heroin production in world)
 |
| Increasing number of deaths from drug |
Types of drugs used
- Hashish (cannabis, 90%) is the most commonly used substance
- Sedatives and Tranquilizers,
- Heroin
- Opium
- Injecting drug use
- Ecstasy
- Solvent Abuse among Street Children
Causes as listed by ANF
⦁ Increased availability of drugs at low prices.
⦁ Rapidly changing social norms which place new demands on individuals for which drugs offer a false solution.
⦁ Lack of jobs and economic frustration.
⦁ Lack of proper interest in education, peer pressure and negligence of parents.
⦁ Existence and operation of drug dens.
⦁ Lack of drug education within the family and in educational institutions.
⦁ Apathy on the part of community leaders in responding to drug abuse symptoms
Few reasons for initiating drug use
- Influence of friends or peer pressure,
- Social and family stresses,
- Sibling or other family member’s use of drugs
- To heighten sexual pleasure,
- To overcome frustrations/tragedies,
- As pain medication
Solution
- Prevention through redress of underlying causes
- Easily accessible rehabilitation centre
- Strict implementation of laws related to drug use
- Clamp down on illegal seller and buyers
- Firm border control mechanism to curb drug imports
5. Juvenile Delinquency
Fast facts⦁ The habitual committing of criminal acts or offences by a young person, especially one below the age at which ordinary criminal prosecution is possible. It is used for children between 10 and 17.
⦁ Currently there are 3000 children in juvenile jails--- 615 in Punjab,
⦁ Total juvenile jails are 7-- 2 in Punjab, 4 in Sindh, 1 in KPK,
⦁ Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000 --- This law regulates juvenile delinquency in Pakistan.-- Children if under 18, produced within 24 hours in juvenile court, treated well, children be detained in borstal institutions where trained and given education, cant be awarded death penalty-- it was put to abeyance in 2004 by LHC.
⦁ Recently, on May 18, 2018 , Juvenile Justice System Act 2018 was passed--- juvenile courts, rehab centres, observation homes, birth certificate to determine age, similarly it asks for establishment of provincial committee to oversee cases (not set up yet ). PPC recognizes crime committed by child under 7 as non-congnisable offence as opposed to UN convention which sets age at 12,
⦁ According to Bartol & Bartol, (1986) legally a juvenile delinquent is one who commits an act and by law it is considered as illegal and adjudicated “delinquent” by an appropriate court.
 |
| Crime composition committed by juveniles |
Causes of JD
There are various causes of juvenile delinquency namely;
- Parental alcoholism,
- Poverty, breakdown of the family,
- Overcrowding
- Abusive conditions at home,
- Death of parents during armed conflicts,
- Unemployment,
- Injustice,
- Absence of appropriate laws,
- Gambling,
- Running away from home,
- Lack of attention by elders,
- Addiction,
- Peer pressure,
- Illiteracy
- Discord between siblings count as a few.
⦁ According to Alexander (1996), factors which are responsible for juvenile delinquency are: broken homes, delinquent community environment, bad company, and peers in the school and, society slums with criminal neighborhood, poverty, unemployment.
Recommendations
⦁ Educated mother
⦁ more juvenile centres across Pakistan
⦁ improve living conditions of people
⦁ Moral education to teenagers
⦁ Role of media is crucial
⦁ In jails, police staff requisite moral training
6. Child Labour in Pakistan
Fast Facts:⦁ According to ILO, Child Labour is defined as work that has the potential to deprive children of their childhood, their dignity and is also harmful for their physical, moral and mental development and it interferes with their education (either by not allowing them to attend school, leaving school prematurely i.e., without compulsory education or forcing them to combine school attendance with heavy work.).
⦁ According to the national child labour survey, approximately 12-13 million children below 14 years are working as a labour in Pakistan. June 12 is declared as Day against Child Labour. It primarily exists in the informal sector of employment as well as the home-based industry.
⦁ The Government of Pakistan has ratified ILO core Conventions related to child labour: Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)---below 14 is considered child
Legislation related to Child Labor
⦁ 1. The Children (Pledging of Labour) Act 1933 (applicable in all provinces)
⦁ 2. The Employment of Children Act 1991 (applicable in Balochistan and ICT)
⦁ 3. The Employment of Children Rules 1995 (applicable in Balochistan and ICT)
⦁ 4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2015
⦁ 5. Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act 2016
⦁ 6. Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act 2016
⦁ 7. Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2017
Other aspects
⦁ Punishment for upto 1 year and fine of 20,000
⦁ Child cant work for more than 7 hours
⦁ A child cannot be employed for arduous work---transportation, port, construction of railway, ship-breaking, electrical wires over 50 volts, pesticides production, coal or mines, stone-crushing, Tobacco etc.
⦁ The government needs to address the issue to let children reach their full potential.
Causes of Child Labour in Pakistan
- Illiteracy
- Widespread poverty
- Poor implementation of Labour related laws
- Big families and low income
- Mushrooming population and depleting resources
- Poverty alleviation
- Awareness about laws through concerted media campaign
- Social security assistance to poor families
- Free education to children
- Stern action against those committing this crime.
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