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The key objectives of this research study are to construct a valid and reliable household-based Human Development Index (HDI) and to estimate human development disparities in 36 districts of Punjab (Pakistan) by analysing Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey microdata. The household-level HDI, a composite index, is constructed by applying the arithmetic mean of the household-level health, asset, and education indices. The district of Lahore, among all the 36 districts of Punjab, has the highest HDI score of 0.743, followed by districts Rawalpindi, Jhelum, and Gujrat. Four neighbouring districts from South Punjab: Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzzaffar Gar, and Rahim Yaar Khan, have the lowest HDI scores of 0.492, 0508, 0.531, and 0.566, respectively. This paper has used the Palma-ratio and Gini-coefficient to estimate human development disparities in Punjab. The highest human development disparities are observed in the Rajanpur district with a Gini-coefficient of 0.38 and a Palma Ratio of 1.55. Both the Gini and Palma Ratio methods produce similar district rank orderings of inequality. This research recommends that additional efforts be made to uplift the districts with the lowest human development in Southern Punjab through local government restructuring and devolution of relevant powers, including the formation of a separate province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is designed to calculate the newly introduced Gender Inequality Index for Pakistan according to the formula mentioned in technical notes of United Nations Development Report (2010) and then finding the impact of Social, Political and Economic Globalization on Gender Inequality Index. Time series data from 1980 to 2014 is used for Gender Inequality Index, Social, Political and Economic Globalization. Johnsons Co-integration technique is applied to investigate the impact of social, economic and political globalization on gender inequality index in Pakistan. The results of study show negative and significant relationship between economic globalization, social globalization and gender inequality index, while a negative but insignificant relationship is found between political globalization and gender inequality index. The results of the study are consistent with various theoretical and empirical studies. The policies related to globalization promotion are recommended to enrich the country with development through gender balances. To increase impact of political globalization, Pakistan needs to put more emphasis in following the spirit of treaties which target gender disparity of which she is the signatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan being 6th most populous country in the world has 177 million population with total fertility rate 3.5 per woman and population growth rate 2.05 percent. Family planning indicators reflect that Pakistan has comparatively lowest position in the region as well as in Islamic countries. Population growth rate is an important determinant of current account balance, however, no previous study has checked impact of population growth on CAB in Pakistan. This study investigates the impact of population growth on current account balance as percentage of GDP (CABGDP) of Pakistan by applying Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) approach of co-integration for the period 1984-2010. The findings of the study show that increase in population growth worsens CABGDP of Pakistan in the long run. The negative sign and significance of coefficient of error correction term in the short run model also confirms long run relationship between population growth and CABGDP in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]