©The Pakistan Development Review
54:4, Part II (Winter 2015) pp. 793–808
Spatial Distribution of Socio-economic Inequality:
Evidence from Inequality Maps of a Village
in Tribal Region of Pakistan
EJAZ GUL and IMRAN SHARIF CHAUDHRY
*
1. INTRODUCTION
Economic and social inequality is consistently persisting in tribal region of
Pakistan. People in the tribal region of Pakistan are living in deprived state whereby
they lack even basic necessities in their lives. As described by Gul, the tribal areas
are different than the rural areas because tribal areas are located in far flung
mountainous terrain where accessibility to basic amenities is much lower than the
rural areas [Gul (2013)]. In recent times, the Government of Pakistan initiated many
efforts for provision of basic amenities in tribal areas as an essential component of
development in the context of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However,
according to John the desired state is yet to be achieved in tribal areas [John (2009)].
Tribal life is characterised by hardship and great insecurity especially for poor
labour. Given the income vulnerabilities, the long run welfare is forgone for short run
securities. Interruption, reduction or loss of earnings from the contingencies such as
unemployment, underemployment, low wages, low prices and failure to find the
market for the produce, old age, ill-health, sickness, disability etc. are the situations
which call for social security and protection. As concluded by Talbot, this constant
state of deprivation has generated deep rooted inequalities in the tribal society
[Talbot (1998)]. People take rescue measures such as sending their earners to urban
areas and if possible to foreign countries. Those who have lands and doing
agriculture are the blessed one, although, the earning pattern is distorted due to law
and order situation. To have an assessment of the overall economic inequality in the
tribal region, author conducted a study in a small village Naryab which is located in
the tribal region. Primary data was collected from the households physically and it
was thoroughly analysed to conclude the pattern of inequality. This inequality was
then mapped using latest mapping software “SURFER”. The maps reveal spatial
distribution of inequality and many other important social and environmental aspects.
Based on the results, policy implications have been described in the paper.
Ejaz Gul <ejazgul@bzu.edu.pk> is affiliated with the Department of Economics, Bahauddin Zakariya
University, Multan. Imran Sharif Chaudhry <imran@bzu.edu.pk> is Chairman, Department of Economics,
Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan.