Pakistan’s Economy at the Crossroads: Past Policies and Present Imperatives

This book assesses Pakistan’s economic performance during the first fifty years of its existence. It tries to answer two fundamental questions: what factors have contributed to the steady, if not spectacular, growth in Pakistan, despite high political volatility and the failure of development to dominate the national agenda over long periods of time? And why has the growth been so lopsided that the sustainability of the development process has been jeopardized? A unique feature of the book is that the analysis for the period up to the separation of East Pakistan in December 1971 presents trends for East and West Pakistan separately and focuses on the important inter-regional economic issues which became so divisive in the last years of United Pakistan. The book also presents an agenda for policy and institutional reform which woruld help to restore rapid growth, put the country’s finances on a sound footing, and, above all, ensure a better distribution of growth benefits to all segments of the population.