Pakistan puts embargo on collecting Poverty figures!

The planning commission of Pakistan had put a embargo on collecting Poverty figures, fearing that they might have risen to much!Given the rising utility tariffs as well as the eroding rupee value, both internally and externally due to a global recession, as well as our government's macroeconomic policies, even a die-hard government supporter would be unable to convince the public that poverty levels during the last three and a half years have declined.

The government's data collection arm, namely the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) has been accused over the years of gross data manipulation on the instructions of the country's top political leadership. These accusations were not specific to Musharraf's regime, though reports indicate that Shaukat Aziz used FBS more blatantly than his predecessors. And the three statistics that have the greatest political impact, namely the rate of inflation, poverty levels and unemployment have been subjected to more manipulation than others. Having said that, one could easily be accused of partisanship if one absolves the present government of manipulating statistics, as there has been evidence of data manipulation during the past three years as well.

Moreover, ADB in 2006 had criticised the method of collection of poverty figures in Pakistan. Read the full report in ...http://www.brecorder.com/editorials/single/600/0/1239337/?date=2011-10-07

It is evident that whereas India does not fear to show its true figures, Pakistan does. This is also the answer to all the internet Pakistanis who keep on saying about poverty in India.