The World Bank's recalibration of global poverty lines has cast a harsh spotlight on Pakistan, estimating that 44.7% of the population, or over 107 million people, live below the lower-middle-income threshold of $4.20/day. Extreme poverty has surged to 16.5% under the revised $3/day line. While blind nationalists may deflect by blaming the worsening statistic on updated benchmarks and revised global calculations, the truth is that the numbers are actually an understatement.

The 44.7% figure relies on outdated survey data........

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