Hafeez A Pasha. Growth and Inequality in Pakistan, Volume-I. Islamabad, Pakistan: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 2018. v+218 pages.

Abstract

The book, Growth and Inequality in Pakistan, is written on a\n very important theme. In this book, important economic issues of\n Pakistan economy are touched upon carefully, using recent facts and\n figures, and far-reaching practical associations are also made a part of\n this book. The book proceeds in a logical manner and the topics covered\n in the book capture the deep attention of the reader. The book is\n divided into seven sections and each section is further divided into\n chapters related to the issues of concern. As the rising population is\n an important concern for any economy, therefore, before policy options,\n the initial discussion in this book focuses on the issues concerning the\n population of Pakistan. As the population census has been carried out\n after a gap of nineteen years, it becomes inevitable to start addressing\n issues related to population, its growth, and international comparisons.\n Section one presents a good review of the population of Pakistan, which\n has reached 207.8 million. 1 The discussion is followed by focusing on\n the distribution of population and its growth. The growth rate for the\n period 1998-2017 revealed by the census is 2.4 percent, which, according\n to the author, is worrisome. The size and growth of cities is also a\n concern, which shows that the fastest growing cities in Pakistan are\n Lahore and Islamabad. Overall, in Pakistan urbanisation is taking place\n at a moderate rate but imbalances are observed in the size distribution\n of the cities.