Why We Exist:
As citizens of Pakistan, we consider inaction towards the current status quo as collaboration with the existing order of extreme inequality and injustice. We believe that society will change only if we join together and volunteer towards creating a just society as only economic & social justice can bring about peace.
Following indicators regarding Pakistan from the United Nations Human Development Report 2006 provide some food for thought:
- Pakistan is ranked 134 out of 171 countries in the Human Development Index, a measurement of the Quality of Life which includes life expectancy, education, literacy and GDP/capita.
o But Pakistan is 1 out of 9 countries with an atomic bomb
- Pakistan had a population of 68million in 1975, 154million in 2004 and is projected to have193million in 2015.
o Pakistan does not have enough Land & Water resources for the increased population.
o 38.9% of the population was under the age of 15 in 2004 requiring extensive job creation to keep unemployment in check.
- Life Expectancy of a Pakistani is 62 years. It is 70 years in Iran.
o Pakistan spent only 0.7% of its GDP on health (public sector). Cuba spends 6.8% of its GDP and Norway 8.6% on health
o Undernourished population was 24% in 1990 and 23% in 2002
o 37% of children under 5 years are underweight because of lack of adequate food.
o In Pakistan the military budget is 47 times the water & sanitation budget. 118,000 people die of diarrhea every year in Pakistan
- Infant mortality (children dying for 1000 births) is 89 for the poorest 20% in Pakistan. For Jordan the figures is 35 respectively
o Only 5% of the poorest women give birth in attendance of a skilled health care person. Only 23% fully immunize their children.
- Maternal mortality rate (mothers dying during child birth for 100,000 births) is 500.
o It is 84 for Egypt. 380 for Bangladesh (a poorer country), 76 for Iran and 2 for Sweden.
- Adult Literacy in Pakistan is 65% (A Government Figure). For India, its 76%, for Syria 92%, for Srilanka 90%.
o Pakistan spends 2% of GDP on education. Cuba spends 9.7%, Norway 7.7%. In India its 3.3%, Srilanka 3.2%, Israel 7.3%
o Primary Enrollment Rate in Pakistan is 66%. For India its 90%, Bangladesh 94%, Nepal 78%. The enrollment rate is one of the lowest in the world even worse than Sub-Saharan countries.
- According to Pakistan's Interior Ministry, there have been more than 4,000 Honor Killings in the last six years.
- Since 1986, around 400 cases against more than 850 people belonging to different religions (50 per cent mainstream Muslims, 33 per cent Ahmadi, and 11 per cent Christian) have been registered under blasphemy laws but none of them have been convicted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. This clearly indicates that most of the cases are registered on personal grudges or disputes and high proportion of minorities indicates their persecution in the guise of Blasphemy Law.
A reversal of these indicators requires:
- The introduction of so called Islamization by Zia dictatorship, conservative forces’ restriction of Freedom of Thought and Expression on college campuses, and promulgation of regressive & unjust laws like ‘Hudood Ordinance’ and ‘Blasphemy Law’ have led to an increase in Extremism and Militancy in the last 25 years. A reversal of these policies is required for creating a tolerant, just and a peaceful society.
Pakistan has to be transformed from a National Security State ruled by the military to a Welfare State ruled by the people for the benefit of the people.