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Pakistan
>> Regional Overview >> Pakistan Overview
Previous Years' Activities
2002, 2001
Last updated: 26
THE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE: Since September 11th, Pakistan has become a critical frontline state in the war against terrorism. In the expectation of instability in Pakistan and the region, commerce is shrinking, the rupee is declining in value, and the Government of Pakistan has and will continue to incur costs associated with an influx of refugees and additional internal security expenses. Loss of export markets has caused many manufacturers to drastically cut back or stop production and lay off thousands of workers, further exacerbating the country’s economic crisis. The U.S. national interest centers on helping to maintain political stability in Pakistan and assisting the Pakistan Government with the international campaign against terrorism.
Pakistan is a nation struggling to emerge from civil and economic crisis. During the past decade, the standard of living has deteriorated, poverty has increased, public institutions have decayed, resulting in inadequate provision of essential services of any quality; and political and legal institutions lack the public’s trust due to corruption and cycles of political turmoil. Pakistan’s return to a path toward democratic and economic reform is in the U.S. strategic interest.
Since independence, Pakistan has shifted among various forms of parliamentary, military, and presidential governments in pursuit of political stability. The Pakistani people have often looked to the military, during times of political crisis, to serve as the government of last resort. This has resulted in alternating cycles of military and civilian rule, a type of praetorian civil-military relationship that has perpetuated the military’s involvement in political process and arrested the development of a sustainable democracy. As a result, the country has experienced considerable difficulty developing stable, cohesive political and civil-society organizations.
Civil society in Pakistan is generally weak and has only recently begun to address macropolitical issues. Nonetheless, there are some potentially promising results beginning to emerge from the efforts of coalitions and networks of NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) to educate citizens about the meanings of democracy, representation, and the role of the voter. This effort was conducted within the context of the local government elections that concluded in August 2001. These networks of NGOs and CBOs have focused on strengthening the content, rather than the form, of the democratic process, and now provide a potential opportunity for the United States to promote sustainable democracy in the run up to the anticipated return to civilian rule.
Pakistan faces the twin challenges of reviving growth and reducing poverty. This will require rapid economic growth in agriculture, which represents 26% of GDP and employs 44% of the labor force. GDP growth hinges on crop performance. Pakistan's agriculture depends on irrigation, yet over the past two decades the productivity of the sub-sector has declined steadily due to the deterioration of the physical infrastructure and the institutional capacity to manage water at all levels. The country also faces the challenge of land degradation.
Pakistan’s major health indicators demonstrate large unmet needs. The total fertility rate is 4.8, contraceptive prevalence is only 28%, and the population growth rate is 2.2% per year (compared with India’s 1.7%). Estimated infant mortality is 85 per 1000 live births, under five mortality is 103 per 1000 live births, and maternal mortality is 533 per 100,000. Immunization rates are low with less than 60% of one-year olds fully immunized. Twenty-six percent of children under five are moderately to severely underweight; only 1% of young children receive vitamin A supplementation; and only 19% of households use iodized salt.
The education sector, in particular, is in a critical state of disarray. While substantial investments have been made in building schools, access is not uniform and the overall quality of education remains very poor. Teachers are poorly qualified, frequently hired through political patronage, and receive little in-service training. Indicators for literacy, enrollment, and retention demonstrate the dire need for systemic reform. Nationwide, literacy rates are approximately 59% for men and 35% for women. The average years of schooling for a male are 1.9 years while that of females is only 0.7 years. Thirty-seven percent of boys and 55% of girls never enter school; of those who do, 50% drop out within the first five years. Only 29% of children make it to the secondary school level. This systemic failure of the education system stems from issues of both access and quality, seriously hindering Pakistan’s future development prospects.
THE USAID PROGRAM: USAID plans to spend $624,500,000 in Pakistan in FY 2002 and requests $250,000,000 in FY 2003. USAID is establishing a field mission in Pakistan. Until now, USAID has provided modest assistance under U.S. legal provisions that allow assistance to, and through, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for humanitarian purposes. USAID's Pakistan NGO Initiative (PNI) was launched in September 1994, extended in November 1997, and will terminate in 2002. PNI has implemented activities related to economic development, girls’ education, women’s and children’s health, child labor, and microenterprise development.
USAID launched a new education program in Pakistan during 2001. The U.S. Congress granted legislative authority for this program in response to the grave state of the public education system and the belief that a poorly educated populace impedes economic development and more readily supports extremist actions. The initial phase of this program aimed to increase girls’ access to primary education. In 2002, the USAID education program will be significantly expanded to include assistance to the Government of Pakistan. This assistance will target educational policy, administration, teacher training, and curriculum development. USAID will also support activities that strengthen civil society organizations and political parties, and improve the health of the Pakistani people. In FY 2003. USAID plans fund activities that support economic growth through the agriculture sector.
ONGOING PROGRAMS FOR WHICH NO FY 2002 FUNDING IS REQUESTED: The USAID program in Pakistan includes the following objective for which USAID is not requesting new funds, but is continuing to expend funds already appropriated:
Number: Planned Title: Last Notified: Planned Completion: 391-004 Pakistan NGO Initiative FY 02 CBJ, p. 331 FY 2002 OTHER PROGRAM ELEMENTS: In addition to its programs in basic education, democracy, agriculture, and health, USAID provided a cash transfer of $600,000,000 in FY 2002 to the Government of Pakistan from funds made available under the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-38). USAID plans to make a $200,000,000 cash transfer to the Government of Pakistan in FY 2003. The Government of Pakistan has committed to use the rupee equivalent of these funds for education, health, and job creation programs.
OTHER DONORS: World Bank (poverty reduction, fiscal reform and decentralization, financial sector, education, agriculture and natural resources, civil service reform, water and sanitation, health, energy, telecommunications and transportation); Asian Development Bank (governance, judiciary, agriculture and natural resources, education, health, water, infrastructure, energy, trade, financial sector); United Kingdom (education, health, trade, poverty, democracy and governance); Germany (education and training, health, rural development, energy, environment and natural resources); Japan (health, education); Canada (education, civil society, health, environment, energy, private-sector development); European Union (education, health, trade, environment and natural resources management); United Nations Children’s Fund (nutrition, health, education); United Nations Development Program (governance, gender, environment and natural resources, agriculture, poverty reduction).
Program Data Sheets
- 391-003 Pakistan Primary Education and Literacy Program
- 391-004 Pakistan Democracy and Governance Program
- 391-005 Emergency Economic Assistance to Pakistan
- 391-xxx Agricultural Growth and Employment
- 391-yyy Improved Basic Health Services
Country Background Information Resources
CIA Factbook
Library of CongressNational Geographic Country Maps
State Dept. Country Information
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
