IMBALANCED human development lies at the root of the polarisation and perennial conflict witnessed in Pakistan. A recent report District Vulnerability Index for Pakistan, released by the Population Council late last year, is a scathing comment on the disparity in human development across Pakistan. The report has ranked the four provinces based on a range of social vulnerability indicators. These include types of homes (katcha/ pukka), access to transportation, livelihood resources, and access to health and education facilities across various districts.

The report reflects the quality of life of people living in different regions. Its findings highlight some troubling facts. Of the 20 most vulnerable districts in the country, 17 are located in Balochistan. Not a single district in Punjab falls in this category. Conversely, out of the 20 least vulnerable districts, 13 are located in Punjab. Of the remaining seven, four are located in Sindh’s Karachi Division, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one in Balochistan.

This distorted development is more evident when different indicators are analysed. Punjab does better than all the other provinces in terms of the quality of housing. In Balochistan, two out of every three homes are........

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