COVID-19: Exacerbating Pakistan's economic problems – a critical analysis using the dependency paradigm
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20578911231162689 |
| Author | Syed Muhammad Saad Zaidi |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Original Research Articles |
COVID-19: Exacerbating
Pakistan’s economic problems –
a critical analysis using the
dependency paradigm
Syed Muhammad Saad Zaidi
Bahria University, Pakistan
Abstract
Pandemics have been a recurrent phenomenon throughout the course of history. However, the
levels of fear and hysteria brought by the COVID-19 outbreak, forcing regimes across the
globe to impose stringent lockdowns, had never been witnessed before. While these lockdowns
proved beneficial in reducing both the infection and mortality rate, they created an impossible
environment for governments across the globe to effectively and efficiently govern, which in
turn gave birth to numerous economic challenges, especially in developing countries like
Pakistan. In Pakistan, where the common person was already finding it very difficult to makes
ends meet, the pandemic incurred tremendous economic hardships like unemployment, poverty
and decline in per capita income. Consequently, Pakistan’s economy struggled as it experienced a
negative economic growth rate, inflation and a significant reduction in exports. As a by-product of
the economic crunch, the flawed Pakistani governance system came under the spotlight, as it
found itself struggling to tackle the day-by-day worsening situation. Strikingly, due to the infamous
longstanding province–centre rift, Pakistan was neither able to promulgate an effective unified
lockdown strategy nor to provide basic necessities to its citizens. This article analyses the govern-
ance and economic problems faced by Pakistan due to the COVID-19 outbreak from the prism of
the dependency paradigm, which highlights the exploitative nature of developed–developing/
underdeveloped states. Also, it provides policy prescriptions to strengthen Pakistan’s economic
system to deter future pandemics.
Keywords
COVID-19, dependency theory, economic crisis, governance issues, Pakistan, pandemic management
Corresponding author:
Syed Muhammad Saad Zaidi, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Email: saadz93@hotmail.com
Original Research Article
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
2023, Vol. 8(4) 811–824
© The Author(s) 2023
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/20578911231162689
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
To continue reading
Request your trial