- By: Arisha Irshad Ali
We have witnessed inflation since the day we were born. For Gen-Z, it has become the root cause of numerous psychological issues. Can we imagine a young individual being mentally stable while dealing with the burden of paying an electricity bill that consumes 90% of their salary? With the increasing units of electricity, we are now rewarded with sleepless nights and endless working hours. Daily staples are already so expensive that, for a family of four, every member might need to do two jobs just to afford basic necessities.
How can a daily wage earner resolve this crisis? Pakistan’s low literacy rate perpetuates a vicious cycle of dependency. Consider a young woman married into a family where the sole breadwinner must provide for six people. How can such a man fulfill even basic needs? And how will this newlywed bride cope with the burden of poverty and the curse of illiteracy?
The pangs of poverty don’t end here. It’s a struggle to ensure that ordinary citizens can afford two meals a day. We fall into deep despair as this seems nearly impossible. While we empathize with the suffering in Gaza, where people are killing others, in Pakistan, government-imposed taxes are robbing people of their lives in a different way.
Are we prepared to address this crisis, or are we ready to bury the potential of our youth? It is tragic to see individuals resort to crime and looting as a means of survival. We must remember that over 60% of Pakistanis belong to the lower-middle class, which highlights the stagnant state of our economic growth.