THE government has clearly stated that inclusive growth is its foremost priority. This is reassuring, but will require reforms in the economic and development agendas of both the government and its international partners. Losing no time, we must prioritise people’s needs, particularly for the poorest households. Inclusive, and not exclusive, growth means lifting millions out of poverty and giving the children from such households their fundamental rights — primary education, basic nutrition and the right to survive their fifth birthday.

This is a call to put people’s development front and centre, and to deal with the shameful neglect of social and human development. Lessons can be drawn from the Social Action Programme in the late 1990s when multinationals and the Pakistan government designated resources to improve the lagging social indicators in health, education and population. Indeed, that exclusive focus and policy priorities, backed by additional financing didlead to improvements in crucial indicators. Fertility declined from 5.8 to 4.4 children per woman, female net enrolment rates rose from 38 to 48 per cent and the infant mortality rate declined from 100 to 80 deaths per 1,000 births in the 10-year period from 1995 to 2005.

Over the past two decades, we have seen growing stagnation in social development: in particular, fertility rates and female and male enrolment rates have remained alarmingly stagnant. This is not surprising since there have been no notable investments in social development due to the lack of funds. A new and aggressive social development agenda has to be........

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