Islamabad, July 13, 2021 (TDI) — The Pakistan Inequality Debates by UNDP’s Pakistan National Human Development Report 2020 took place to discuss key policy issues relating to social inequality. The first debate, “People as Drivers of Inequality: Power, People, and Policy” was addressed by Mr. Knut Ostby, the UNDP Pakistan Representative; Federal Minister Asad Umar; NDHR author Dr. Hafiz Pasha and prominent professors and activists.
The debate looked at the constitutional aspect of equality in Pakistan enshrined in Articles 15 and 38 of the 1973 Constitution. According to it, “the wellbeing of the people, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, by raising their standard of living by preventing the concentration of wealth and distribution in the hands of a few” along with “reducing disparity in income” is the responsibility of the state and government. The key question addressed was the “extent of success in reducing inequality in the country and equalizing access and opportunities” in line with the UN SDG 10 on Inequality Reduction.
Federal Minister Asad Umar, in a previous meeting on the launch of the Pakistan National Human Development Report, said that “Social and economic inequality threatens the foundations of a just society. To this end, the framework of the ‘three Ps’ of inequality is a useful tool for deconstructing the challenges and carefully analyzing inequality in Pakistan in detail”. He also highlighted the government’s concern and commitment to the issue while the panelists discussed marginalized communities, women empowerment, gender equality, politics, and education reconstruction in Pakistan.
