Article Type

Article

Description

A number of media persons and commentators were pooh-poohing Pakistan’s impressive growth record between 2002-08. The criticism against the previous government ranged from the insinuation of fudging the numbers and faking the growth rate to the other extreme where it was acknowledged that growth had indeed taken place but it was making the rich richer and the poor poorer. The same groups are now assailing the democratically elected government for a dismal showing on growth rate. It seems that we as a country can never get it right. You are damned if you do it and damned if you don’t do it.

A dispassionate analysis should lead us to ask a set of the following questions:Is growth really important and if so why? if it is, how can we achieve it on a sustained basis rather than in spurts and dribs. What is a reasonable or desirable rate for Pakistan to aim at? What should drive the growth process? How can its benefits be widely distributed and shared by the majority of the population.

Publication Source

Herald

Publication Date

7-2011

Pages

1-2

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