Sustainable
Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has launched a book highlighting the
development challenges faced by Pakistan.

Titled
‘Development Challenges Confronting Pakistan,’ the book is co-edited by Dr.
Anita M. Weiss, Head of International Studies Department, University of Oregon,
USA and Dr Saba Gul Khattak, Former Member, Planning Commission of Pakistan.

The book is a culmination of scholarly papers written by intellectuals and practitioners
that not only identify ‘structural impediments’ in Pakistan’s efforts to
alleviate poverty and promote sustainable social development but also offer
practical solutions to move forward.

Giving
a detailed briefing on the book, the co-editor Dr. Anita M. Weiss said that
there was very limited research available to identify ‘structural impediments
to development’ in Pakistan. She was of the view that while there are many
structural problems confronting Pakistan, it is the growing violence that is
affecting all realm of life and poses greatest challenge to Pakistan’s
development prospects.

Khawar Mumtaz, Chairperson, National Commission on Status of Women spoke as
discussant on the occasion and hailed the efforts of authors and editors in compiling
a comprehensive policy document for addressing development challenges in
Pakistan. She commented that authors seemed to have agreement in principle that
majority of Pakistan’s challenges stems from dysfunctional of state,
discontinuation of democratic system and lack of will at part of leadership on
development discourse.

She said that due to persistent prevalence of status-quo, the country has
turned into a non performing state. She also discussed the increasing
irrelevance of Planning Commission in development framework of Pakistan and
said that the book offer interesting suggestions such as placing planning
commission under the Council of Common Interest in accordance with the spirit
of 18th amendment and to synergies’ development in all provinces.

While
citing chapter on Ulema’s role in development, she found the author’s conclusion
very interesting that bringing Ulema in development intervention does not
produce good results but rather strengthened and legitimized the clergy and
religious forces.

She
also emphasized on the need to preserve cultural heritage, which she said, is
the responsibility of Pakistani state and must not be solely addressed by
policy of looking after by generation of revenues from foreign tourists.