This report explores governance gaps and implementation challenges in Pakistan’s social protection system, focusing on federal, provincial, and local roles. Despite efforts like the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and provincial social protection authorities, poverty alleviation remains constrained by fragmented governance, overlapping mandates, and weak inter-agency coordination. Using a mixed-methods approach—combining field interviews, document analysis, and comparative case studies from Brazil, India, and Bangladesh—the study identifies key barriers, including the absence of integrated databases, political interference, inconsistent legal frameworks, and poor monitoring. Vulnerable groups, such as women, transgender individuals, and persons with disabilities, often receive inconsistent or inadequate support. While policy coverage has expanded, overreliance on donordriven models and a lack of forward-looking strategies undermine long-term impact. The report recommends adopting a cohesive, non-partisan framework aligned with constitutional and Islamic principles, supported by a digital national registry, strengthened local capacities, and poverty graduation pathways. Community-based initiatives like Zakat can enhance sustainability, ownership, and resilience in the evolving social protection landscape.
_________________________In 2023, Pakistan experienced record-high inflation that plunged millions into poverty. Although inflation has now declined to below 1%, the country remains among the top five with the highest number of multi dimensionally poor individuals. This study highlights how sustained inflation eroded citizens’ purchasing power and increased vulnerability to economic shocks, as confirmed by an online survey. Despite increased federal and provincial spending on social protection, gaps persist at macro and subnational levels. The research emphasizes the need for greater policy coordination—especially between fiscal and monetary strategies—to enhance government capacity for inflation control and pro-poor spending. It also underscores the inadequacy of current protections for informal workers. The study recommends a “whole of the government” approach and the adoption of an integrated Cost of Living Framework, including CPI-indexed social protection, to mitigate inflation-induced poverty and safeguard the purchasing power of vulnerable populations.
_________________________This paper explores the multifaceted nature of income inequality and economic disparities in Pakistan, arguing that a narrow focus on poverty alleviation overlooks broader structural imbalances. Inequality encompasses disparities in education, health, assets, and access to opportunities, affecting not just the poor but the entire socioeconomic fabric. Drawing on empirical evidence, the study reveals that wealth inequality in Pakistan is significantly more pronounced than income inequality, with the top 10% holding over 60% of total wealth. It emphasizes that equitable development requires integrated policy reforms targeting structural barriers, tax reforms, labor laws, and education access. The paper proposes a rights-based, inclusive governance framework aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advocating for decentralization, transparency, and participatory policymaking. Simulations indicate that wealth redistribution is more effective than income redistribution in reducing poverty. The study concludes that tackling inequality is essential not just for economic justice but also for achieving sustainable, inclusive national development in Pakistan.
_This paper explores economic and institutional barriers to healthcare access among vulnerable populations in Pakistan, with a specific focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Despite constitutional mandates and global health commitments, Pakistan’s healthcare system remains fragmented and underfunded, with public health expenditure below 1% of GDP. Vulnerable groups— daily wage earners, women-headed households, persons with disabilities, and rural communities—face intersecting challenges such as high out-of-pocket expenses, long distances to facilities, discrimination, and limited infrastructure. Applying economic theories including Human Capital, Welfare Economics, Market Failure, and Opportunity Cost, the study analyzes structural inequities. Using KP as a case study, it advocates for targeted policy interventions including expanded Sehat Sahulat coverage, mobile clinics, and rural health workforce incentives. A phased strategy is proposed to enhance access, equity, and sustainability in healthcare delivery.
_______________________This policy paper critically examines the implementation gaps and institutional fault lines that hinder the effectiveness of NGOs, INGOs, and GONGOs in Pakistan’s social sector, with a focus on poverty alleviation. Using the UNDP’s governance framework, the study draws on stakeholder interviews and policy analysis across federal, provincial, and district levels. Key challenges identified include outdated legal frameworks, overlapping regulations, bureaucratic bottlenecks, security-centric oversight, trust deficits, and lack of digitization. The paper emphasizes fragmentation in governance, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and proposes the establishment of the Pakistan NGOs and Charities Commission (PNCC) as a centralized, digitized regulatory body. PNCC aims to harmonize federal and provincial systems, eliminate legacy legislation, and promote stakeholder coordination. The proposed framework is rooted in international best practices and seeks to foster a transparent, accountable, and enabling environment for sustainable civil society engagement in development.
_________________________Pakistan’s fiscal system faces persistent challenges rooted in tax evasion, a large informal economy, and weak institutional frameworks. With a tax-to-GDP ratio of merely 9.5%, significantly below regional benchmarks, the country struggles to mobilize domestic resources and finance essential public services. Policy implementation gaps and institutional inefficiencies— such as weak enforcement, bureaucratic inertia, and corruption—exacerbate fiscal constraints, impeding education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. The informal sector, comprising up to 40% of GDP, and annual tax evasion losses exceeding $1 billion further erode the revenue base. This paper examines the historical and structural roots of Pakistan’s fiscal challenges, highlighting how political will, institutional reforms, equitable tax policies, and enhanced enforcement mechanisms are critical to strengthening the fiscal framework. Recommendations include restructuring the Federal Board of Revenue, rationalizing tax exemptions, and expanding the tax net to improve equity and public trust. Broad-based reforms are essential to ensure sustainable, inclusive development.
_________________________This report, prepared by the Minister for Food and Agriculture Security’s Task Force, critically examines the persistent challenges of agricultural productivity, food inflation, and malnutrition among women and children in Pakistan. Although agriculture contributes 24% to GDP and employs over a third of the workforce, the sector suffers from stagnating productivity, supply chain inefficiencies, and climate vulnerability. These issues have led to recurring food inflation and widespread malnutrition, with 40% of children stunted and 41% of women anemic. Using a mixed-methods approach, the report analyzes gaps in policy implementation and institutional weaknesses by reviewing national and provincial frameworks, programs, and budget allocations from 2018 to 2025. Findings highlight fragmented, outdated policies, poor enforcement, and weak intersect oral coordination as key barriers. The report offers evidence-based recommendations to enhance institutional capacity, improve policy coherence, and promote sustainable, nutrition-sensitive agricultural development to ensure food security and better health outcomes for Pakistan’s most vulnerable populations.
_________________________This research investigates regional disparities in education and economic opportunities across Pakistan, focusing on underserved districts in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Southern Punjab. Grounded in Human Capital and Social Exclusion theories, it explores how institutional weaknesses and policy implementation failures intensify poverty, unemployment, and political instability. A mixedmethods approach—including policy reviews, situational analysis, stakeholder mapping, and SWOT/EETH evaluations—highlights governance gaps, limited fiscal autonomy, and socio-political exclusion as key barriers. Using national and international data, the study presents district-level profiles of low-HDI areas, revealing structural inequities fueling underdevelopment. It critically assesses existing policies such as BISP, provincial education reforms, and rural development initiatives, identifying both strengths and persistent gaps. Drawing on global models like AKDN and BRAC, the research proposes actionable, context-sensitive reforms to strengthen inclusive, accountable, and resilient institutions. These strategies aim to reduce disparities, uplift marginalized communities, and enhance national cohesion and stability.
_________________________The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is a regional intergovernmental body comprising ten member states in South and Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Established to foster economic, technical, and cultural cooperation, ECO represents a market of over 500 million people with significant geostrategic importance. This paper examines ECO’s historical development, institutional structure, key achievements, and future prospects. It provides detailed profiles of member countries, including their economies, populations, and geographical contexts, and proposes strategic directions for enhancing ECO’s role in a dynamic global landscape.
_________________________This paper investigates the reform of Pakistan’s civil service training by integrating the UK Success Profiles framework with a customized Training Needs Assessment (TNA) model. Moreover, It compares Pakistan’s civil service competency standards with the UK model, aiming to integrate international best practices. It examines training design, needs assessment at individual, operational, and organizational levels, and post-training impact to develop a comprehensive model for enhancing civil servants' effectiveness and institutional performance in Pakistan. t focuses on the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) and National School of Public Policy (NSPP), targeting the Mid-Career Management Course (MCMC), Senior Management Course (SMC), and National Management Course (NMC). The study emphasizes leadership, digital literacy, and policy analysis, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Employing the Kirkpatrick Model, it quantifies a 22% reduction in project delivery times, underscoring significant impact. Recommendations include embedding UK behavioral competencies, adopting Learning Management Systems, and establishing UK partnerships to overcome cultural barriers and promote sustainable governance improvements. This approach offers a strategic blueprint for enhancing public sector capacity in Pakistan.