ISLAMABAD: Over 16 percent households in Pakistan experience “moderate or severe” food insecurity, Pakistan’s Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey 2019-20 said in a report published this month and reported by local media on Thursday.
This is the seventh report of the survey, based on data from 195,000 households collected between October 2019 to March 2020.
One section of the survey evaluated “how many households suffer due to food insecurity by evaluating in terms of money, fill of nutrition food, hunger in last 12 months.”
The survey report said Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan witnessed the highest level of moderate or severe food insecurity at 29.84 percent, Sindh at 18.45 percent, Punjab at 15.16 percent and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 12.75 percent.
District-wise data in the survey showed the highest level of moderate or severe food insecurity was recorded at 48.8 percent in Barkhan in Balochistan and the lowest at 4.59 percent in Gwadar, Balochistan. In Sindh, the highest level was recorded at 34.04 percent in Kashmore and the lowest at 7.66 percent in Khairpur.
In Punjab, the highest level of moderate or severe food insecurity was in Kasur at 28.81 percent and the lowest at 4.18 percent in Okara. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the highest level was in Tank at 32.43 percent and the lowest at 3.94 percent in Shangla.
The survey reveals that across Pakistan, the percentage of children aged 10 years and older who had ever attended school was 60 percent in 2019-20, compared to 62 percent in 2014-15. Islamabad remained at the top of the list at 85 percent.
“While great strides have been made in improving literacy and participation rates, the education system remains largely elitist with access to the best educational opportunities available only to the more affluent or well-connected,” the report read.
Over 16 percent Pakistani households suffer moderate to severe food insecurity — survey
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Over 16 percent Pakistani households suffer moderate to severe food insecurity — survey
- Pakistan’s Social and Living Standards Measurement survey says southwetsern Balochistan witnessed highest level of food insecurity at 29.84 percent
- Percentage of children aged 10 years and older who had ever attended school was 60 percent in 2019-20 compared to 62 percent in 2014-15
Pakistan to showcase BYD, Samsung, Google assembly push at ITCN Asia expo
- STZA pavilion backed by SIFC highlights shift from tech services to manufacturing
- Electric vehicles, electronics and data centers featured at Lahore exhibition
KARACHI: Pakistan will showcase electric vehicle and electronics assembly by global brands including BYD, Samsung and Google at ITCN Asia 2026, its largest tech expo, as the government seeks to signal a shift from technology consumption toward local manufacturing under its investment-led growth strategy.
The display will take place through a flagship national pavilion led by the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) at the three-day ITCN Asia exhibition beginning Jan. 17 at the Lahore Expo Center, with facilitation from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), according to a statement issued on Thursday by the cabinet division.
The move comes as Pakistan pushes to deepen industrial capacity and attract long-term foreign investment amid pressure to boost exports and reduce reliance on external financing. While Pakistan has traditionally positioned itself as a provider of IT services and outsourcing, officials have increasingly emphasized localized production in sectors such as electric vehicles, electronics, cloud infrastructure and data centers.
According to the statement, the STZA pavilion will be organized around three themes: “Manufactured in Pakistan,” “Powered by Pakistan,” and “Pakistan as a Tech Destination,” highlighting the country’s effort to integrate technology with manufacturing and physical infrastructure.
“Manufactured in Pakistan [is] a clear demonstration of Pakistan’s shift from technology consumption to localized production, featuring global brands manufacturing and assembling within STZA-notified zones for domestic and international Markets,” the press release by STZA said.
“Exhibits include BYD Electric Vehicles, Google Chromebook Assembly through NRTC, and Samsung Electronics through Sapphire Group, underscoring Pakistan’s growing role in global manufacturing value chains.”
The digital infrastructure segment will showcase investments in data centers and computing capacity, with participation from firms including Multinet, a Pakistani telecom and data services provider, and Sky47, a local data center and cloud infrastructure operator, focusing on cloud services, connectivity and enterprise-grade digital platforms.
A third segment will highlight investment-ready technology zones, including Tech7 STZ and Winston STZ, privately developed Special Technology Zones that are building large-scale facilities such as offices, data centers and industrial space to support technology firms seeking to expand domestically and internationally.
STZA said it has notified 32 Special Technology Zones nationwide since its inception, hosting more than 250 technology enterprises and around 27,000 professionals across sectors including artificial intelligence, fintech, cloud computing, agritech, business process outsourcing and high-tech manufacturing such as drones, electronics and electric vehicles.
Under existing policy, technology firms operating within notified zones are eligible for income tax, customs duty and foreign exchange incentives until June 30, 2035, the statement said.
ITCN Asia is one of Pakistan’s largest annual technology exhibitions, drawing local and foreign investors, industry leaders and policymakers, and is being used this year to project Pakistan’s readiness for technology-driven manufacturing and infrastructure development.
