ABSTRACT
In September 2015, a new framework of development goals was adopted by the member countries of the United Nations referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). When we look at the reality of development progress made by Pakistan, the country made very little headway on achieving the MDGs. Some of the reasons attributed to this failure include lack of planning and resources, lack of political will and foresight, high incidence of conflict as well as the donor-driven agenda. In contrast, the SDGs have been more formally adopted into the national development agenda of Pakistan. Following this, both the federal and provincial governments have been making concerted efforts towards implementing these in their national and subnational planning processes. In terms of development progress, while Pakistan has experienced a decline in poverty, there has not been much change in indicators of stunting and wasting. One potential explanation for this is due to poor nutrition for infants and mothers and lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation. The SDGs, with their more holistic approach, might be able to address this gap by steering the development agenda towards working on provision of basic services and having positive impacts on some of these crucial indicators of development.
