Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development Disparities and Peculiarities: An Empirical Investigation

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The vast, sprawling and densely populated province of Punjab, while predominantly agricultural, is marked by considerable regional disparities. An attempt has been made in this paper to see to what extent the differences in the human and social development in its various districts is there. The study exhibits that those regions which are ranked as lagging districts have high disparities in terms of human development and social development with high urban and rural poverty estimates. It is clearly revealed that aggregate national figures mask vast sub regional disparities and speedy development in some regions may not necessarily elevate lagging regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. North Punjab: Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum; Central Punjab: Faisalabad, Jhang, TobaTak Singh, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Sialkot, Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Sargodha and Lahore; Southern Punjab: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahimyar Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran and Vehari; Western Punjab: D.G. Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar, Khushab,Rajanpur and Mianwali.

References

  • Afzal, U. (2010). The changing profile of development: A historical study of the Punjab 1961–2008. The Pakistan Development Review, 49(4), 841–861.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali, A. (2011). An analysis of the spatial dimension of poverty in the Punjab.’ Unpublished M. Phil Dissertation, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad.

  • Amjad, R., Arif, G. M., & Mustafa, U. (2008) Does the labor market structure explain differences in poverty in rural Punjab? The Lahore Journal of Economics. Special edition, 139–162.

  • Burki, A., & Khan, M. A. (2010) Spatial inequality and geographic concentration of manufacturing industries in Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review. 49(4).

  • Cheema, A. I., Khalid, l., & Patnam, M. (2008) The geography of poverty: evidence from the Punjab. The Lahore Journal of Economics. Special Edition, 163–168.

  • Government of Punjab. (2009). Punjab development statistics 2009. Lahore, Pakistan: Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Division.

  • Government of Punjab. (2009). Multiple indicators cluster survey. Punjab: 2007–2008. Lahore, Pakistan: Punjab Planning and Development Department, Bureau of Statistics.

  • Haq, R., Azkar, A., & Saima, S. (2010). Variation in quality of life within Punjab: Evidence from MICS, 2007–2008. The Pakistan Development Review, 49(4), 863–878.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamal, H. (2009) Estimation of multidimensional poverty in Pakistan. Research Report No. 79. Islamabad: Social Policy Development Centre.

  • Murtag, F., & Heck, A. (1987). Multivariate data analysis. Dordrecht, Holland: Reidel Publishing Company.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pasha, H. A., & Asma, Z. (2009). Fiscal equalization among provinces in the NFC awards. Lahore: Institute of Public Policy, Beaconhouse National University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raychoudhuri, A., & Haldar, S. K. (2008). An investigation into the inter-district disparity in West Bengal, 1991–2005. In Paper presented at the seminar on ‘Intra-State Disparities in Development’. Asian Development Research Institute, Patna, India.

  • Sikander, M. U., & Shah, S. A. A. (2010). Inter-district inequalities in social service delivery: A rationalized approach towards funds disbursement. The Pakistan Development Review, 49(4), 881–898.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilder, A. (1999). The Pakistani voter, electoral politics and voting behaviour in the Punjab. Karachi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. (2006). Development and the next generation. World Development Report, 2007. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

  • United Nations. (2001). Reducing disparities: Balanced development of urban and rural areas and regions within the Countries of Asia and the Pacific. New York: United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Rashida Haq & Azhar Ali

Authors
  1. Rashida Haq
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Azhar Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rashida Haq.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Haq, R., Ali, A. Development Disparities and Peculiarities: An Empirical Investigation. Soc Indic Res 115, 715–729 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0232-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0232-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation