Dematerialised digital identity card launched
NADRA has announced the launch of Pakistan's first "dematerialised digital identity card" during its Silver Jubilee ceremony on Monday.
In his message, Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Mohsin Raza Naqvi, termed the launch of Pakistan's first dematerialised digital identity card as a significant step toward digital identity transformation.
He announced that after integrating this feature into the Pak ID mobile app, citizens will be able to store their identity cards on their smartphones. Additionally, a digital verification system will be introduced soon, facilitating secure and instant verification for various services under the World Bank-backed Digital Economy Project.
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Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
WB readjusts poverty line in Pakistan at 44.7%
Listen to article The World Bank has adjusted upward the income levels in an effort to measure global poverty, which has also pushed the percentage of Pakistanis living in poverty by to 44.7% — an outcome that may not still be fully reflecting the harsh ground realities due to the use of seven years old survey data. The Washington-based lender on Thursday released its new international poverty line to reflect changes in the prices of goods and services and their implications on the global population. The new poverty line for Pakistan, which is a lower middle-income country, is set at $4.20 per person per day, up from $3.65, said Christina Wieser, the senior poverty economist of the World Bank while briefing the media persons here. She said that due to the upward revision, for the lower middle income level, the poverty ratio has jumped from 39.8% of the old level to 44.7% on the threshold of $4.20 per day income. The World Bank has also updated the extreme poverty line from $2.15 to $3 per person per day. Because of the revision in the threshold, 16.5% of the Pakistani population lives in extreme poverty, up from 4.9% under the previous $2.15 threshold, said Christina. She said that one of the reasons for such a high jump was that the majority of the people were clustered around $2.15 to $3 per day income level, which resulted into a significant surge. About 82% of this increase in extreme poverty is due to the higher value of the new international poverty line reflecting increases in the national poverty lines of comparator countries, with the rest explained by price increases in Pakistan between 2017 and 2021, according to the World Bank. The World Bank has not used the latest population census data and instead relied on the United Nations population dataset. Christina also added that the underlying Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2018/19 data has been used for both national and international estimates. While international poverty lines are essential for tracking global progress and comparisons, national lines remain more appropriate for informing country-specific policy decisions, said the senior economist. Anything that has affected since 2019 is not included in either Covid-19 or 2022 floods, as the baseline remains the same, said Christina while responding to a question. We are desperately looking forward to the new household integrated economic survey to update our baseline, she added. The local economists had estimated a sharp rise in poverty after the 2022 floods, which inundated one-fourth of the country and adversely impacted populations in three provinces. These updates to the international poverty lines ensure that poverty estimates remain accurate and comparable across countries. The methodology remains consistent with past updates, continuing a practice that began with the introduction of the dollar-a-day line in 1990, according to the World Bank economist. "The revisions help position Pakistan's poverty levels in a global context and underscore the importance of continued efforts to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience," said Najy Benhassine, the outgoing World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. For domestic policy and programme targeting, the national poverty line remains unchanged and continues to serve as the primary benchmark for assessing poverty within Pakistan, Christina said. The forthcoming World Bank Poverty, Equity, and Resilience Assessment for Pakistan will provide critical context for interpreting these updated poverty estimates, she added. The report would offer a detailed update on poverty, inequality, and non-monetary outcomes, will investigate key drivers of poverty, and outline a forward-looking agenda to enhance prosperity and resilience for all Pakistanis. According to the government's last official available numbers, which are based on the 2018-19 survey, 21.9% of the population was living below the national poverty line. However, because national poverty lines differ widely, the resulting poverty rates are not comparable internationally. The need for new international poverty lines arises from the evolving price levels and cost of basic needs across the world and within income groups, according to Christina Wieser. To maintain accurate global comparisons, the World Bank periodically updates these poverty lines. International poverty estimates are based on the headcount of people with consumption below the international poverty line, defined in purchasing power parities (PPPs). Pakistan is among the countries experiencing the largest changes in poverty when transitioning to the 2021 PPPs based on the Low-Income International Poverty Line, according to the World Bank. The World Bank said that the international poverty line should be used only for cross-country comparison and analysis; for evaluating poverty in a particular country (Pakistan), the national poverty line remains the appropriate standard. The revisions help position Pakistan's poverty levels in a global context and underscore the importance of continued efforts to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience, The new figures reflect updated international thresholds and improved data from other countries, not deterioration in living standards, according to Christina.
Business Recorder
20 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Conflict with India: Gilani praises Britain's behind-the-scenes diplomacy
ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani took centre stage on Thursday in a high-stakes diplomatic sit-down with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott – pitching Pakistan as a peace-driven, climate-hit, and investment-hungry nation eager to deepen relations with the UK. Calling himself 'a man of peace,' Gilani praised Britain's behind-the-scenes diplomacy for easing tensions between nuclear neighbours Pakistan and India during the recent four-day clash between the two archrivals. With Marriott nodding along, Gilani pressed the UK to double down on its counter-terror cooperation and back efforts to stamp out extremism and cross-border threats – code for trouble brewing from across the Indian border. Gilani didnot mince words, once again calling for a UN-backed peaceful resolution to the decades-old flashpoint of Kashmir dispute, while urging London to use its diplomatic muscle. Gilani also flashed Pakistan's humanitarian credentials, reminding the world Pakistan has hosted more than three million Afghan refugees over the years – and is still footing the bill. He pleaded for global help in fixing what he called a simmering refugee crisis. On the green front, Gilani sounded the climate alarm. With Pakistan battered by floods, droughts, and rising temperatures, he pitched partnerships with Britain on everything from clean energy to disaster response. On trade, Gilani said that the £4.1 billion in annual volume barely scratches the surface of what Pakistan and the UK could achieve, urging both sides to unlock the 'untapped goldmine' of economic potential. He called for fresh trade deals, a surge in UK investment, and faster, friendlier student and work visas, saying it is time to supercharge academic links and crank up economic engines on both sides. Cybersecurity, defence, intelligence, training – Gilani put them all on the table during his meeting with Marriott, sketching out what he dubbed a 'dynamic and forward-looking' UK-Pakistan partnership. Marriott, for her part, gave a diplomatic thumbs-up, praising the 'constructive dialogue' and pledging Britain's full-throttle support for a safer, greener, and more prosperous Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan's threshold: World Bank fixes new poverty lines at $4.20/person/ day
ISLAMABAD: The new poverty lines for Pakistan — a lower middle-income country, set at $4.20/person/day up from $3.65/person/day, affecting 44.7 percent of the population rose from 39.8 percent, says the World Bank in its updated international poverty lines by increasing the threshold. The extreme poverty line is now $3/person/day, impacting 16.5 per cent of the population, up from 4.9 per cent under the previous $2.15 threshold. The upper-middle-income poverty line is $8.30/person/day, covering 88.4per cent of the population. Adjusting for purchasing power parities (PPPs) and inflation, the real value of the international poverty lines increases by 28per cent, 5per cent and 11per cent for the lower income countries (LIC), lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) and upper-middle-income countries (UMIC) thresholds, respectively. Pakistan's poverty rate to stand at 42.4%: World Bank The updates to the international poverty lines (IPL) are based on 2021 PPP data from the International Comparison Program (ICP) and ensure that poverty estimates remain accurate and comparable across countries. Christina Wieser, senior economist, Poverty and Equity Global Practice, World Bank, along with Tobias Haque, lead country economist for World Bank Pakistan, while briefing media said that thebank is updating its global poverty lines to reflect changes in the cost of living and consumption habits of people around the world, based on newly available data. As price levels and the cost of basic needs across the world and within income groups evolve, global poverty lines are periodically updated to allow for global comparisons, Wieser added. The new poverty lines are $3 per person per day for LIC, $4.20 for LMIC, and $8.30 for UMIC. These lines are based on 2021 purchasing power parity rates, as well as updated national poverty lines. For Pakistan, 16.5 per cent of the population lived below the $3 international poverty rate in 2018-19 (latest available survey year); and 44.7 per cent below the more relevant lower-middle-income line of $4.20. The revision does not suggest that poverty in Pakistan has worsened as living standards of the population have not changed to what was previously reported. The change in international poverty rates merely reflects a higher threshold for being 'non-poor,' based on improved consumption measurement across low-income countries; changes to LMIC and UMIC lines, where data is of relatively high quality, may reflect an increase in the value of poverty lines as countries become richer. IPL should be used only for cross-country comparison and analysis; for evaluating poverty in a particular country (Pakistan), the national poverty line remains the appropriate standard. The new IPL only affects the level of poverty, trends in poverty remain unchanged. Pakistan is among the countries experiencing the largest changes in poverty when transitioning to the 2021 PPPs based on the Low-Income International Poverty Line. This significant shift in poverty rates under the LIC line, compared to the LMIC and Upper-Middle-Income Country (UMIC) lines, is due to a concentration of households with welfare levels between $PPP2.15 and $PPP3, which is near the International Poverty Line. The need for new international poverty lines arises from the evolving price levels and cost of basic needs across the world and within income groups. To maintain accurate global comparisons, the World Bank periodically updates these poverty lines. International poverty estimates are based on the headcount of people with consumption below the international poverty line, defined in PPPs. Christina Wieser said the update of poverty estimates from 2017 PPP to 2021 PPP, and the new lines, preserves the trends observed in Pakistan, but with higher levels, including in World Bank projected estimates from 2019-2025. The new lines reflect 3 key updates at the global level including New and improved Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) factors, Improved data quality and greater accuracy in welfare measures and Updated values of national poverty lines reflecting current definitions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
