Cultural and environmental Issues in Pakistan Essay

Corruption is the prime reason behind the economical unstableness. Corruption has spread into the world and has ruined the economy. Pakistan has been ranked at 42nd number among the most corrupt nations of the world. Unemployment: Unemployment is a major social problem caused by poor economical system. Causes of unemployment are: Lack of funds followed by unorganized system and lack of new projects are causing unemployment worldwide. There are many reasons of unemployment like influx of machinery that has replaced manpower. Health problems: Health is another social problem caused by poor economical conditions. The cost of living is ever increasing and shortage of funds is a usual problem worldwide. There are less hospitals and medical centers and if there are any, the people are unable to afford their and their children health  expenses So the health problems grow unchecked. Child labor: Children who deserve to be educated are forced to do work.  The circulation of money is restrained to rich people only causing the poor to become more poor. In past, some countries refused to import those goods from Pakistan in whose making children were employed. Due to growing inflation (rise) and poverty, parents are bound to send their children to work to light their stoves. Economical problems: 1. Power crises 2. War on terrorism 3. Declining export 4. Tumbling stock-market 5. Lack of tourism 6. Loss in business Power crises are affecting the economy of the world very badly. The power crisis is followed by decline in production and at the end the economy of the countries is affected badly. We are running short of fuel worldwide. All the countries are affected by power crises. War against terrorism is another very important reason behind the economical problem.ï‚ § War is affecting the world’s economy and is causing problems like shortage of fuel, lack of funds, increase in health problem etc. War benefits none, someone is hurt badly and someone is destroyed completely. Lack of power followed by decline in production is the main cause of declining export which is a major economical problem worldwide. In Pakistan, core inflation soared to 18.85% in first quarter of year 2009. The production cannot even fulfill the demands and hue to decline in export and lack of trouble, the world economy is suffering great problems. The stock-market is suffering a decline worldwide. Lack of investment and poor economical condition of the people and government is another cause of decline in stock-market worldwide. In 2009, many times Karachi Stock Exchange has plunged to its lowest point in the history of Pakistan. Lack of tourism is also a cause of the declining in economy. Local as well as foreign media has projected Pakistan as a dangerous and unsafe country. Its poor law and order situation has alarmed the tourist and thus Northern areas no more receive many tourists. The poor  economical system affects the business very badly. Foreign investors are not ready to setup their businesses in Pakistan. More than 70 Multinational Companies have already packed up their business from Pakistan. Government as well as every single citizen has to play its own specific role to b ring about a positive change. Cultural crisis in Pakistan A SUFI saint has defined culture as the fragrance left behind when the incense stick of life has burnt out. And, heritage is valued as the highly prized family silver — a loan from our ancestors to be passed on to future generations. No department of life – be it economic, cultural, religious or recreational – has been free from the effect of this great transformation in progress. The old system of classification and stratification of society as a whole is changing gradually and slowly but surely and certainly. We may go for some little changes. For instance, we may change clothing style. We may change our room setting. We may change our eating stuff. We may do whatever makes us happy. Movement is the stuff and essence of life, both for individual and the society. From the independence day of August 14, 1947 up to date, Pakistan’s has been a society in transition. The society of Pakistan is dynamic and therefore ever-changing, and its patterns are changing transforming from time to time. The national society has been responding to the challenges of environment, natural and man-made. The factors and circumstances responsible for these changes can be enumerated as below; partition of sub-continent, technological and scientific inventions, growth of urbanization and industrialization, expansion of commercial activities and international trade, changes in the economic structure of the country initiating the industrialization of its economy, the spread of literacy resulting in the rise of a secular intelligentsia, the effect of the spread of different ideologies of different political parties in the country, the impact of the highly developed countries of the world on our society, the working and influence of the trade union and co-operative movement, the expansion of the area reached by the mass media of communication like radio, press, cinema, television etc. migration and finally cultural diffusion. Changes are the spice of life. Is it true? Of course YES! It is true because everybody needs a change in whatever he/she is doing. We want changes around us. Monotonous life just makes us feel  bored. It is good to have a change. It is not important that we should go for big changes everyday. We may go for little changes that should be pretty affordable. If we are seeking for a healthy and entertaining life then changes are very important. Changes must be positive. If we will go for negative ones then they will obviously have a negative impact upon our lives. Negative impacts are accountable for some more negative changes so we need to be assiduous in this regard. Pakistan today is undergoing an identity crisis a crisis which the author feels arises from culture conflict. One of the causes of this conflict is that the Pakistani society possesses imported cultures along with its own; varying with the diverse regions. The numerous cultures tend to conflict with one another. This crisis is clearly manifest in the actions of the Pakistani you th –rebellions, and indecisiveness. The struggle for Pakistan was a unique historical experience with few parallels in the annals of history. It transcended ethnic ,linguistic, cultural and regional differences and coalesced into a powerful movement culminating in the creation of an independent homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent. It even defied the geographic compulsions. In essence, it was an experience of a deep Muslim consciousness which both inspiring and invigorating. However ,Pakistan after its creation was, indeed ,and ethnically plural society. Pakistan, these days is passing through a crucial era of multifarious ethnic problems; multi-lingual and regional; problems etc. The province of the Punjabi has three distinct ethno-linguistic groups i.e. Punjabi ,Potohari and Saraiki speaking .Of late ,there has been a nascent rise of Saraiki consciousness with a demand for a separate Saraiki Province comprising of Saraiki speaking areas . In Baluchistan the Baluch , Brohi and Pakhtoons are dominated ethnoligual groups. The wide spread nationalist consciousness of Balchusitan has cut across the tribal divisions. In the North-Western Province of Pakistan ,apart from Pushtu,Hindku and Saraiki are also spoken in some parts of this province .The Pustoons as an ethnic group are integrating with the economic life of the rest of the country .The issue of Kalabagh Dam has arisen out of the same ethnic issue and provincial disharmony of Pakistan in the province. Though the proposed dam may play the role of key factor in the prosperity of the country and may breath a new life in the agricultural and industrial life of Pakistan .Moreover the  ethnic groups of the province also demand regional and to rename the province as Pakhtoonistan. Similarly the problem of ethnicity in Sindh is very complex. It is a web of discards, clash of interest and the resultant sense deprivation between the different ethnic groups. Overawed bewildered conditions, the inhabitants themselves ,sometime become bewildered and the frequent out –burst of violence creates hysteria among the people which consequences which are damaging for the peace and harmony of the province and also for the nation as a whole. All cultural activities can be perpetuated through private-sector support by providing incentives and tax breaks. Let there be encouragement by the government for partnerships of commerce and culture, for promoting a positive, cultural image of Pakistan. The government needs to do a lot, but it needn’t do it alone — through a strategic plan each Pakistani can be encouraged to become a cultural worker. Pakistan is today at a crossroads due to challenges posed in the post 9/11 world — the world of so-called clash of civilizations — with an increasing polarization between the Muslims and the Western world. The affect of negative images flashed around the world can only be counter-acted through a cultural offensive. To achieve our objective of becoming a favored country for investment, culture will need to be placed at the core of our development policies and propagated with every possible means. It is not only political and diplomatic strategies that will create a better image for our country, but equally the propagation of our cultural agenda that is likely to pay dividends. Let us promote our vision of a cultural Pakistan, Saqafati Pakistan, to provide another window to our country, a world removed from violence and negativism, promoting instead an image of a pluralistic Muslim country, a depository of rare cultural assets, along with historical memories and spiritual orientation of its people. Each public sector organization and private sector, too, can be engaged in promoting our cultural resources, through even simple means of films, posters, images and leaflets: PIA within aeroplanes and national and international offices, Pakistan Railways by utilizing its countrywide stations, Pakistan Post Office through its innumerable outlets, the technological gateways and countless websites, to name a few. Let us not fritter away our family silver and the fragrance of the incense stick, but safeguard them and utilize them for creation of a cultural Pakistan, for not only development and well being  of our people, but also for social and economic advancement of our nation. Environmental issues: Water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification. Little attention was paid to pollution .Some are these Related concerns, such as sanitation and potable water, received earlier scrutiny. In 1987 only about 6 percent of rural residents and 51 percent of urban residents had access to sanitary facilities; a Greater success has been achieved in bringing potable water within reach of the people; nearly half the population enjoyed such access by 1990. However, researchers at the Pakistan Medical Research Council, recognizing that a large proportion of diseases in Pakistan are caused by the consumption of polluted water, have been questioning the â€Å"safe† classification in use in the 1990s. Even the 38 percent of the population that receives its water through pipelines runs the risk of consuming seriously contaminated water, although the problem varies by area. In Punjab, for example, as much as 90 percent of drinking water comes from groundwater, as compared with only 9 percent in Sindh. The central government’s Perspective Plan (1988–2003) and previous five-year plans do not mention sustainable development strategies. Further, there have been no overarching policies focused on sustainable development and conservation. The state has focused on achieving self-sufficiency in food production, meeting energy demands, and containing the high rate of population growth, not on curtailing pollution or other environmental hazards. In 1992 Pakistan’s National Conservation Strategy Report attempted to redress the previous inattention to the nation’s mounting environmental problem. Drawing on the expertise of more than 3,000 people from a wide array of political affiliations, the government produced a document outlining the current state of environmental health, its sustainable goals, and viable program options for the future. Of special concern to environmentalists is the diminishing forest cover in watershed regions of the northern highlands, which has only recently come under close scrutiny.