Learning Curves: What Role for ADB in Pakistan?

Abstract

Pakistanʹs modern history has been marked by wars and cross‐border conflicts with its neighbors; ethnic and cultural divisions; feudal social relations in parts of the country; a complex structure of government; three periods of military rule; 10 changes in the leadership of civilian governments during 1988–1999; erratic economic performance, with periods of faster growth neither sustained nor translated into better social outcomes; rising poverty in the 1990s; international sanctions following the testing of a nuclear weapon in 1998; upshots from serving as a key ally in the ʺwar on terrorʺ following the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States; poor governance; corruption; and social indicators that compare unfavorably with the rest of Asia. July2007 The conclusions of a recent assessment of the performance of ADBʹs development assistance in Pakistan have implications for resource allocations, design of operations, program management, and business processes.