In Pakistan there are many emergencies, as are many boys and girls. As innocent as they are unaware, they experience the world in an environment of poverty.
They navigate smoking scooters, railway tracks and polluted lakes with the same dexterity as stray cats. You can't get out of the underworld, you can only laugh, scream or run. Before learning the alphabet, children are taught to break stones and repair motorbikes. Their maturity is calculated according to how many kilos of garbage they can carry on their shoulders.
According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his August 2023 speech, Pakistan has an annual population growth rate estimated at around 2.5%, among the highest in the world, exacerbating socio-political problems. The ecosystem is in crisis due to overpopulation and resource scarcity, generating an endless struggle for survival and opportunity.
Here everything is covered in earth, smog and poverty. The acrid stench of decomposition rises straight to the brain, forcing one to hold one's breath. The pungent smell of overflowing sewers surrounds the makeshift streets. This putrid combination soaks clothes, seeps into the nostrils and coats the tongue with a taste that