ISLAMABAD – Punjab, a province being ruled by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for past ten years, outshined all other provinces in a development ranking released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Sunday.
Based on Human Development Index (HDI), the report, titled ‘Pakistan National Human Development Report 2017: Unleashing the Potential of a Young Pakistan,’ was the analysis of data gathered during 2005-15. The HDI measures three basic dimensions of human development—a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living.
The report categorises Pakistan as a country with the medium level of development with Punjab leading other provinces by securing 0.732 points. It is followed by Sindh with 0.640 points, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 0.628 points and Balochistan with 0.421 points on the HDI table.
Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have been placed in the category of high medium human development, while Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are in medium human development section.
A very low human development was observed in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. Gilgit-Baltistan fell under low medium human development.
All over Pakistan, there are only six districts ranked as high-human development districts. Four districts are in Punjab – Lahore, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, and Jhelum -, one in Sindh – Karachi – and the capital city.
With 0.87 points Punjab’s capital city, Lahore ranked highest in Pakistan on the HDI. It is followed by Islamabad and Rawalpindi. No any city from KP could make a place among high-human development districts.
In the category of high medium human-development districts, 19 districts from Punjab, one city from Sindh (Hyderabad) and only 4 KP districts are included.
Eleven cities each from Punjab and KP, four from Sindh and one from Balochistan were placed in the list of medium human development.
Very low human development includes 14 cities from Balochistan, two from KP (Tor Ghar and Kohistan)and one from Sindh (Tharparkar).
KP Leads Other Province in HDI
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) KP chapter termed the UNDP report a propaganda by the ruling PML-N, adding that the report shows analysis of first 18 months of the incumbent government.
“The stats of five years cannot encompass first two years,” the statement said, adding that KP has surpassed rest of the provinces in performance and human development over the next three years.
