Islamabad: Pakistan’s hard-won progress in reducing poverty has suffered a sharp reversal, with the World Bank reporting that recent economic shocks and weak structural reforms have pushed millions back below the poverty line. Once praised for a significant decline in poverty from 64% in 2001 to 22% in 2015, the country now faces renewed economic vulnerability, with poverty rising to 25% in 2024.

The World Bank report identifies multiple factors behind this reversal. Natural disasters, such as the catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025, have devastated agricultural land, disrupted supply chains, and displaced thousands, undermining livelihoods particularly in rural areas. Simultaneously, global challenges including the economic fallout from the Ukraine war and surging inflation have incre

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