How Pakistan descended into poverty

[Hamartia Antidote]

First, the entire premise of this thread title is flawed. Poverty in Pakistan is atypical of South Asia. It's not like India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh are drowning in milk and honey. The differance between GDP per capita is negligible. Meaning Pakistan is in the same league as it's neighbours.

I think if people work on the reasons for this general observation instead of pointing fingers at the military or some specific political parties better answers will be found.

 

[Dubious]

Ah. See, if I was Pakistani I might have recognized this as politeness rather than endorsement.

Now that you've explained it, will you accept that I was ignorant about what was meant?

Endorsement? Esp when it is not really adding up to the OP? O well I wouldnt know... However, if you remove it...

 

[M. Sarmad]

Yahood o Hanood ki sazish hai sari...
Amreeka Murdabad ...

We are notorious for absolving ourselves of blame for our problems.

 

[Dubious]

I think if people work on the reasons for this general observation instead of pointing fingers at the military or some specific political parties better answers will be found.

O its not just about pointing fingers...MOST Pakistanis want their looted money back!
Others want that AND to reform the system so that it wont be replicated by the next party
While true some only point fingers and feel some form of happiness

 

[VCheng]

No, all of us by being on PDF implicity confirm that there is 'choice. or else why are we here. To be sure we might want more choice then what we get but that is pretty subjective and non of us are going to be satisfied. In any forum.

Oh right you are. The Army, as I said, has nothin' to do with impoverishing its own people. I agree with my freedom to say so.

O its not just about pointing fingers...MOST Pakistanis want their looted money back!

Well, the good news is that we were promised by PTI that they will bring billions upon billions of this looted money back. Please join me in wishing them luck in this noble endeavor.

 

[M. Sarmad]

Oh right you are. The Army, as I said, has nothin' to do with impoverishing its own people. I agree with my free choice to say so.

Pakistan's defense spendings are much lower than they should be

 

[Indus Pakistan]

I think if people work on the reasons for this general observation instead of pointing fingers at the military or some specific political parties better answers will be found.

Nothing is worse then anarchy and chaos. Pakistan like most developing countries is divided along ethnic, tribal, clan, regional, sectarian lines. Developing countries like this need a strong anchor around which the state can be built and cooked to the right dispensation. I know that UK is where it is as a result over 1,000 years of bloody history.

We can see what happens in un-reformed societies with examples of Libya, Iraq, Syria where countries concerned cracked along the existing cleavages. In Pakistan such choas would be catastrophic. But the Pakistan Army acts as the iron grid frame around which the country is secured. So trust me whatever is spent n PA is worth it.

 

[VCheng]

Pakistan's defense spendings are much lower than they should be

Hey, if the economy can support it, I would actually support an ever greater expenditure on the Pakistani military. Writing checks for defense that the economy cannot cash is never a sustainable idea for any country, specially at the cost of ever worsening neglect of social development, that harms national security and global competitiveness in a myriad of ways.

 

[Dubious]

Well, the good news is that we were promised by PTI that they will bring billions upon billions of this looted money back. Please join me in wishing them luck in this noble endeavor.

One can only try coz we all know and have seen the obstacles in the way ...considering the system is self sustaining such corrupts and their activities!

 

[VCheng]

One can only try coz we all know and have seen the obstacles in the way ...considering the system is self sustaining such corrupts and their activities!

Well, the present government is trying its best, I agree.

 

[Dubious]

Well, the present government is trying its best, I agree.

I hope they reach the point of reforms! That is when I would say its best ...right now it is just trying!

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

India has reduced its military budget to all time low in terms of percentage of GDP while Pakistan keep spending more and more.

What's the trend, in terms of percentage of GDP, for the Pakistani defence budget over the last few years?

 

[VCheng]

I hope they reach the point of reforms! That is when I would say its best ...right now it is just trying!

Reforms may prevent or reduce future transfers abroad of illegal gains, but will do nothing to for the billions already sent abroad.

What's the trend, in terms of percentage of GDP, for the Pakistani defence budget over the last few years?

It depends on how the budget is counted.

 

[Dubious]

Reforms may prevent or reduce future transfers abroad of illegal gains, but will do nothing to for the billions already sent abroad.

Well, if we can loose so much and still stand up....if we manage the loosing then it would mean we would be flying, no?

 

[Irfan Baloch]

Oh right you are. The Army, as I said, has nothin' to do with impoverishing its own people. I agree with my freedom to say so.



Well, the good news is that we were promised by PTI that they will bring billions upon billions of this looted money back. Please join me in wishing them luck in this noble endeavor.

so back in the days during my graduate studies our professor tells us when big oil reserves were discovered in Nigeria they all cheered declaring the days of plenty , luxury and fun were own them and they would be playing with money,.
despite all that oil , through all the ills of corruption &mismanagement etc the promised days never arrived.

so I wonder if we disband the Pakistan army or bring it to level of say Punjab police .. where would all that saved stash of money be spent on health ? education, infrastructure?
or would the money just vanish in payment of phantom teachers and ghost schools?
or find its way to Western and Middle eastern banks?

but there is only one way to find out. disband the army. it will just do wonders just like disbanding the Iraqi army brought so much joy to Iraqis