Sense-Making of Governance and Institutional Responses to Covid-19 Pandemic in the Context of Pakistan and Afghanistan
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on various aspects of the global community as an atypical disaster. Pakistan and Afghanistan, members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), also suffered significant consequences. The current study is based on the sense-making research strategy in which the early response strategies of Pakistan and Afghanistan towards Covid-19 pandemic were determined and compared. The current analysis relies on secondary data gathered from diverse sources. For instance, academic research studies, official government reports, credible statistical websites, emergency plans, and information provided by globally recognized organizations, such as World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The data was rigorously scrutinized through a comparative analysis of institutional and governance responses of prominent actors in both countries. The two nations of Pakistan and Afghanistan share several commonalities, yet their demographic and political nuances set them apart from one another. Notwithstanding the existing political, economic, and healthcare challenges, the initial responses of the two countries to the Covid-19 pandemic were comparatively favorable, as indicated by the research findings. Despite facing several obstacles, Pakistan, as a developing and burgeoning nation, mounted a relatively effective response to the crisis as compared to Afghanistan. However, Afghanistan's fight against Covid-19 pandemic also proved to be effective owing to the support of international organizations and the community.
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