By Maria Hameed
In a small village on the periphery of Lahore, Muhammad Bota wakes up before dawn every day. His routine is as predictable as it is hard tending to the fields he doesn’t own, earning barely enough to feed his family of six. For Muhammad Bota, like millions of other poor Pakistanis, dreams of a better life feel distant, almost impossible. His children, who should be in school, often help in the fields or at local shops, because the family can’t afford the luxury of education. The stark contrast between their lives and the lives of the ruling elite couldn’t be more glaring.
While Muhammad Bota struggles to make ends meet, the country’s wealthy and powerful continue to prosper in their air-conditioned offices and splendid homes. The ruling elite—politicians, military leaders, and business moguls—control the fate of people like him, making decisions that affect the entire nation but rarely consider the trouble of the poor.
In Pakistan, poverty is not just a statistic; it’s a daily reality for families who live in small homes or villages, for street vendors in bustling cities, and for the millions who sweat in factories or fields without any job security. Every decision made by the powerful in Islamabad, Karachi, or Lahore moves through the lives of people like Muhammad Bota, determining whether they will have access to necessities like healthcare, education, or even clean drinking water.
In the corridors of power, decisions about economic policies, land reforms, and foreign loans are made without consulting the people they impact. These policies often serve the interests of the elite while leaving the poor to suffer. Families like Muhammad Bota’s rarely feel the benefits of government initiatives. Instead, they endure rising prices, poor infrastructure, and lack of opportunities, while the wealthy protect their interests.
For ordinary Pakistanis, the idea of democracy brings little comfort. While elections may offer the illusion of choice, they often present the same powerful families and political dynasties. For people like Muhammad Bota, whose entire life has been marked by struggle, the faces in power change, but the outcomes remain the same.
The elite who control politics have the money and resources to run large campaigns, securing votes through rarely fulfilled promises. They can afford to manipulate the system, exploiting the very people they claim to represent. In the villages and slums, voters are courted with short-term incentives—bags of rice or small cash handouts—while the long-term needs of the poor remain unmet.
This system, where power rests with the elite, leaves ordinary Pakistanis voiceless. They are asked to participate in democracy, yet they remain unheard and unseen in the halls of power. The interests of the wealthy drown out their votes, their needs, and their hopes for a better life.
In the daily grind of survival, people like Muhammad Bota are forced to make impossible choices—should he buy medicine for his sick child or pay for a few kilos of flour to feed the family for another week? These choices are heartbreaking, but they are the reality for millions of Pakistanis.
Meanwhile, the elite live in an entirely different world. They have access to the best education, healthcare, and opportunities that the country has to offer. Their children study in prestigious institutions, often abroad, while the majority of Pakistan’s youth are left behind, attending underfunded schools or dropping out to support their families.
The contrast is stark and painful. While one part of the country enjoys privileges that few can imagine, the rest are trapped in a cycle of poverty, with no realistic way out. For many, the belief that their fate is controlled by a distant, indifferent ruling class feels all too real
One of the greatest barriers to change in Pakistan is the entrenched corruption within the system. For the poor, corruption is not an abstract concept—it is the reality of dealing with local officials, accessing public services, and navigating everyday life. Bribes and favors are often required to get basic needs met, whether it’s a permit for a small business or a place in a public school.
For those who live at the bottom, corruption adds another layer of difficulty to their already challenging lives. Meanwhile, the elite benefit from a system where their wealth can buy influence and ensure that the rules do not apply to them. This corrupt system allows the rich to thrive, while the poor are left with fewer and fewer opportunities.
Yet, despite all the hardships, hope flickers in the hearts of many ordinary Pakistanis. In communities across the country, people are coming together to support each other, creating grassroots movements and advocating for change. Educators are offering free lessons to children in low-income neighborhoods, healthcare workers are volunteering in remote areas, and young activists are demanding accountability from those in power.
Muhammad Bota, too, holds on to hope. Though he knows the system is rigged against him, he dreams of a day when his children will have the opportunity to break free from the cycle of poverty that has defined his life. He dreams of a Pakistan where the ruling elite are held accountable, where ordinary people have a say in the decisions that shape their futures, and where wealth and opportunity are shared more fairly.
The story of Pakistan’s poor is a story of resilience and endurance in the face of incredible hardship. But it is also a story of injustice, where the powerful decide the fate of the powerless. This imbalance cannot continue indefinitely. Real change will come when Pakistan’s ruling elite is willing to share power, address corruption, and prioritize the needs of all citizens, not just the privileged few.
Until then, people like Muhammad Bota will continue to carry the heavy burden of inequality, dreaming of a future where they, too, have a say in their own destiny.
Maria Hameed is an MPhil Mass Communication student with a robust background in communication studies, research methods, and social issues. She offers expert analysis and insightful commentary on contemporary media trends and challenges facing today’s youth. Maria brings a unique cultural perspective to her work, enriching her contributions with a blend of academic rigor and cultural insight.
