Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has continually been a recipient of foreign aid in its various forms. The country has been receiving aid for development of different areas such as military, education, agriculture, building dams, communication networks, health and a variety of other areas where any developing country would desire improvement.

Traditionally, major Pakistani donors have been Europe and the United States. Also, to some extent some rich middle eastern states such as Saudi Arabia have been providing aid to Pakistan from time to time.

The period of 60’s and early 70’s was a boon for investors and aid donors who felt and statistically thought that Pakistan was the future breadbasket of Asia and a rising industrial giant fit to compete with South Korea and Taiwan.

In the first decade of 21st century, Pakistan became the largest aid recipient of western nations, particularly of United States, primarily because of the country’s role as ally in the war against terrorism. Pakistan’s role as an ally in the United States’ war on terror, grabbed the attention of foreign aid donors towards the country’s ailing economy. Billions of aid poured in. Unfortunately, a close look at its aid graph will indicate that the donors are getting skeptical by the day as they along with the impoverished Pakistani nation feel that it is not being utilized in earnest and only a trickle is reaching the places where it is required most.

Suffice it to say whether it is education, health or development projects the state of Pakistan is still living in medieval times. Children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and elsewhere have to bear the rigors of weather. There is a lack of teachers and proper buildings while thousands of ghost schools are still at large despite an enormous input by donor states. The schools destroyed by terrorists can be restricted to some geographic area but schools in other areas are also in a miserable plight and present a pathetic picture. One wonders, where does the donors’ aid goes?

The health sector seems to fare no better. Government hospitals and dispensaries present a harrowing scene where even the basic first aid facility cannot be provided. Lack of doctors and equipment, spurious medicines and untrained staff are the norm rather than an exception. The rich gentry do not visit such hospitals which are government sponsored. Whereas the poor are suffering a lamentable ordeal without any hope for the future.

This is an endless story which is equally applicable to all development schemes sponsored by foreign aid throughout Pakistan’s checkered history of six decades in all its provinces. One wonders how beautifully presented development schemes with statistics and chronological details are put before donors in order to approve a set piece plan for their funds.  Bureaucratic red tape, constructors, middlemen and politicians are equally responsible for feeding on the dead carcass of the teeming millions of Pakistan who have  no say in its development at any stage. With that result hardly a pittance reaches to this bottomless well.

An ordinary Pakistani is of the view that this aid with all its generous sympathy and rightful evaluation is not reaching and achieving its desired goal. We would be as comfortable without aid as we are with it under the present method of dispensation. Something drastic needs to happen in order to change it.