Hafiz Zahid Mahmood

Ranking and relationship of agricultural credit with food security: A district level analysis

Abstract Agriculture sector is back bone of agrarian economies and it is the primary source of food in these economies like Pakistan. Current situation of Pakistan’s economy highlighted that agriculture sector contributes the 19.8% share to GDP and provides 42.3% of the total work force. There is a lot of empirical work which focus on consistent expansion of agriculture output. Food production in agricultural economy require bundle of resources but credit is one of the factor which help in risk aversion and risk Management. The one of the major problem faced by the farmers is the shortage of credit availability. Therefore, this study has been devised to observe the impact of institutional and non-institutional agricultural credit on the level of food security in the districts of Punjab province of Pakistan. In this regard multiple linear regression models are rendered to quantify the relationship between food security (i.e. Food Insecure Population, Food Availability, Food Access and Food Absorption) and Agricultural Credit (i.e. Overall Agricultural Credit, Institutional Agricultural Credit and Non-Institutional Agricultural Credit). The study find that Institutional Agricultural Credit is significantly helping in combating food insecurity while Non-Institutional Agricultural Credit shows unexpected results. Therefore it is strongly recommended to cates institutional credit to reduce food insecurity issues in the country.

Islamic Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation : An Empirical Ascertainment from Pakistan

Islamic Microfinance (IMF) is an emerging mode for empowering the poor. The current study has been devised to observe the implications of IMF on the assets and poverty status of the households who borrowed from three pioneering organizations i.e. Akhuwat Foundation, Farz Foundation and NAYMAT based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Pre and post project approach was rendered to observe the impacts of microfinance on the targeted respondents. In this regard, purposive sampling was employed for data collection to avoid randomized error where self-administered structured questionnaires were used for data collection. Foster, Greer and Thorbecke measures of poverty assessment were used to achieve the objectives of the study. Results exhibited positive impacts of Islamic microfinance on the lives of the poor. This study is a contribution in the literature as there is no empirical study about the impact casted by the Islamic microfinance in Pakistan.

Students’ perceptions of the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system in Lahore, Pakistan

Purpose : To explore the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system of Lahore, Pakistan; and to determine association between students’ socio-demographic indicators and the likelihood of consulting with a pharmacist. Methods : In this exploratory study, data were collected from 589 students at a private sector university in Lahore, Pakistan, using a convenient sampling design. Information was collected using a semistructured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (i.e., mean, standard deviation, percentages) and chi square were employed. Results : Of 621 questionnaires, a total of 589 were returned, giving a response rate of 94.85 %. The results showed that 289 students (49.06 %) have interacted with pharmacists; however, the majority of the students (98.64 %) agreed there is a strong need for pharmacists who can provide guidance on medication safety. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant association between family system (x 2 (1) = 4.046, p = 0.004), age of family head (x 2 (1) = 11.755, p = 0.001), education level of family head (x 2 (1) = 10.473, p = 0.001), and consulting a pharmacist. Conclusion : There are important roles for pharmacists to play in order to improve the healthcare system of Lahore, Pakistan. Some social demographics affect the likelihood that a person will seek professional counseling from a pharmacist. Keywords : Medication safety, Healthcare system, Pharmacist consultation, Students’ perception

Spatial distribution of agricultural resources and food security: A case of Punjab Pakistan

Abstract Agriculture is Pakistan’s most vital sector and backbone of the economy, whose productivity depends upon several agricultural and natural resources. 19.8% of GDP of Pakistan’s economy is come from the agriculture sector and it employs 42.3% of the total work force. There are several agricultural resources which enhance the food production and helps in efficient production. Different regions of Pakistan have different type and amount of resources, these agricultural resources include land, water, livestock, agricultural credit, agricultural machinery, fertilizers and farm workers. The purpose of this study is to provide geographical intensity, district wise mapping of Punjab province of Pakistan. These maps illustrated the spatial distribution of districts in terms of crucial agricultural stocks which are important for higher food security. Then further econometric analysis is used to see the impact of various agricultural resources on food security. The study concluded that in overall availability of agricultural resources, Muzzafargarh, Sahiwal and Vehari districts are having abundance agricultural resources. With the increase in agricultural resources, more food will be produced which leads to increase the level of food security. Empirical investigation shows that Gini of Operational Farm Holding, Irrigated Area and Agricultural Machinery (Tractors) are significantly affecting the food security. The regression coefficients will direct the policy makers about what is the optimal combination of resources in terms of their importance for the food security, commercial importance of these input variables and assist them to prioritize their district wise spending using the geographical representations.

Does Islamic Microfinance Go beyond the Self-employability? An Appraisal from Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract Unemployment is a syndrome which is a common feature of all developing nations. Masses are either unemployed or self-employed due to lack of opportunities and distorted public policies regarding employment generation in these countries. Microenterprises financing through microfinance institutions are playing a pivotal role in creating employment opportunities for their target households. This study observes the impact of Islamic microfinance on self, family and community employment generation activities. In this regard, data were collected from 168 clients of three pioneering Islamic microfinance institutions working in Lahore, Pakistan. The study uses descriptive analysis and probability econometric modeling to achieve its objectives. The results show that the Islamic microfinance played a significant role in starting and extending existing businesses of the target households. Moreover, it also helps households and community members to get absorbed in the microenterprises apart from borrowers themselves. Therefore, it is concluded that Islamic microfinance does go beyond self-employability.