Natural disaster, social catastrophe
Pakistan’s economy is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Pakistan, in 2016, stood at the fifth highest in the list of countries facing climate risk, according to the…
Social security
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines 'social security' as "the principle or practice or a programme of public provision (as through social insurance or assistance) for the economic security and social…
Strengthening growth with social equity
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has developed a new metric of national economic performance as an alternative to GDP - the Inclusive Development Index (IDI) - which focuses on living…
Our social policy choices
Pakistan is an emerging democracy that has tremendous potential to overcome its political and socioeconomic problems. The democratic process over the past decade has helped improve Pakistan’s image as a…
A social democratic alternative
The mainstream parliamentary parties are being eroded as the alignment of democratic forces breaks down and the Charter of Democracy evaporates at the altar of expediency. With this erosion, the…
Beyond social mobilisation
My previous article, titled ‘Making sense of suicides’ published in these pages on March 15, was an attempt to provide a sociological perspective of why people commit suicide in societies…
Catalysts for social transformation
The traditional approaches of service delivery adopted by NGOs are fast losing credence in a world that is shaped by a benign ideological coercion. NGO-led mega projects of social services…
Social cohesion
The inhabitants of the newly formed state of Pakistan were filled with the ambition to make their own mark in the world, and to create a state that provided the…
Social change through education
Education, during different periods of history, assumed different meanings and focused on different objectives. It has usually been equated with change, development and emancipation. It is important, however, to understand…
Ministry of Planning and Development: Rationalisation of institutions – IX
During the last decade, with years of poor governance, the institutions of Pakistan have suffered immensely and have recorded a significant decline with some being on the verge of collapse.…
