Journal of Social Sciences Advancement

Internal Migration and Household Food Insecurity in Pakistan: Evidence from Nationally Representative Microdata

2026-01-01T00:05:56+00:00

This study investigates the impact of internal migration on household food insecurity in Pakistan using nationally representative data from the PSLM 2019–20 survey. Food insecurity is measured through the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), while internal migration is identified by whether the household head has moved from another district. Using a linear probability model and heterogeneity analysis, the findings show that migrant-headed households are significantly more likely to experience food insecurity than non-migrant households. The effect is stronger among urban and male-headed migrant households, weaker among rural migrants, and statistically insignificant for female-headed migrant households. These results suggest that internal migration can expose households to economic uncertainty, limited social support, and livelihood instability, which increases their vulnerability to food insecurity. The study underscores the need for targeted policy measures to support migrant households, particularly in urban areas, to help reduce their risk of food insecurity.

Framing Action Through Embodiment: The Function of verbs in News Reporting

2026-01-04T04:54:31+00:00

This study explores the role of action verbs in Urdu news media discourse through the theoretical framework of Embodied Cognition (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; 1999) and Linguistic Framing (Entman, 1993). Gathering a corpus of Urdu news texts from 2019-2020, the analysis of this study shows how verbs selection systematically maps abstract sociopolitical realities onto sensorimotor schemas including construction, movement, verticality, force, consumption, and communication. Certain verbs including banana (to make), chalna (to walk), uthna (to rise), and peena (to drink) demonstrate embodied logic of meaning-making and exhibit how readers cognitively simulate physical actions to interpret complex events. Additionally, these verbs function as framing devices that allocate agency, imply volition, and direct moral evaluation, thereby shaping public perceptions of legitimacy, authority, and cultural values. These findings reveal that Urdu journalism is not linguistically neutral but strategically employs metaphors to shape meaning, reinforce social norms, and guide ideological positioning. By integrating corpus-based analysis with qualitative schema interpretation, this study contributes radical instances to scholarship on language, cognition, and media, giving new insights into the cognitive foundations of framing in South Asian news reporting.

Agriculture Induced Environmental Kuznets Curve: Evidence from South Asia

2026-01-05T06:51:01+00:00

South Asian countries are facing many environmental changes due to change in economic activities. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission is due to the usage of fossil fuels and is the reason for an unsustainable environment. This region is pre-dominantly agrarian part of Asia continent. However, implements of agriculture rely on fossil fuels which may cause environment degradation. Sustainability development goals emphasis on sustainable development, therefore, controlling of carbon emission is how uphill task. Considering this, we explored the linkage of agriculture growth and environmental with the perspective of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Annual panel secondary data of data five South Asian countries has been taken on the concerned variables over the period 1980 to 2018. To achieve the objectives, we employed tests like cross-sectional dependence (CD, panel unit root and co-integration tests, FMOLS technique and DH causality test. The prevalence of agriculture- induced environmental Kuznets curve in South Asia has also been observed.

Beyond Employment Effects: A Holistic Analysis of Minimum Wage Impacts on Economic Welfare in Selected Asian Economies

2026-01-01T17:12:30+00:00

The persistent challenge of poverty and income inequality remains a key concern for policymakers across developing nations. Among the many strategies considered to address these socio-economic issues, the role of the minimum wage stands out as both critical and contentious. This study aims to examine the impact of minimum wage policies on economic welfare in fifteen selected Asian countries over a defined period, using panel data analysis. The countries chosen represent diverse economic backgrounds, enabling a broader understanding of the effects in varying contexts. To investigate these relationships, this study employs econometric techniques including Fixed Effects and Random Effects models. The Hausman test is applied to determine the most appropriate model, confirming that the Fixed Effects model best suits the data by accounting for country-specific heterogeneity. The results indicate that minimum wage has a significant and positive impact on economic welfare in several of the countries studied. Notably, the findings suggest that a well-implemented minimum wage policy can foster GDP growth and reduce poverty, although the effects on unemployment and income inequality are mixed and context-dependent. Factors such as inflation, poverty rates, and income distribution (measured by the Gini index) were also examined, with some variables demonstrating stronger correlations than others. Overall, this study highlights the potential of minimum wage policies to act as a tool for improving economic welfare in developing Asian economies, provided they are implemented alongside complementary socio-economic reforms. The evidence encourages further exploration of minimum wage structures tailored to the specific economic and institutional settings of each country.

Synergistic Effects of Biochar and Farmyard Manure on Soil Health, Economic Returns, and Climate Change Mitigation in Cotton Production

2026-01-12T12:08:43+00:00

Soil health plays a pivotal role in ensuring sustainable agriculture, particularly in the face of climate change challenges. This field study evaluated the combined application of biochar and farmyard manure (FYM) on soil properties, cotton growth, yield, and economic return. The combined application of biochar and FYM (each at 2.5 t ha?¹) resulted in significant improvements compared to the control and sole amendments. Soil temperature was reduced (28.1 °C) relative to the control (29.5 °C), while soil pH remained unchanged. Total soil carbon and soil organic matter increased to 8.63%, 0.75%, respectively, under the combined treatment. Availability of essential nutrients like nitrogen (0.030%), phosphorus (9.10 mg kg?¹), potassium (115.30 mg kg?¹), copper (0.22 mg kg?¹), and zinc (0.70 mg kg?¹), was significantly enhanced compared with the control. Improved soil conditions resulted into superior crop performance, with higher plant height (176 cm), bolls per plant (48), and seed-cotton yield (3223 kg ha?¹). Moreover, the integrated biochar + FYM reduced irrigation requirement to eight irrigations, lowering total irrigation water use (6093 m³ ha?¹) and increasing crop water productivity to 0.52 kg m?³. Economic analysis revealed the highest net return (PKR 463,160 ha?¹) and benefit–cost ratio (3.39) under the biochar + FYM treatment. Overall, integrated application of biochar and FYM proved effective in enhancing soil health, water productivity, cotton yield, and profitability, highlighting its potential as a climate-smart and regenerative soil management strategy.

An Economic Analysis of Sugar beet Production in Punjab, Pakistan

2026-01-13T04:47:37+00:00

Pakistan economy is based on agriculture with a vital share of 19.5% in total GDP which provide 42.3% of the total labor force. Pakistan has highest demand of sugar i.e., 25 kg per capita per annum. Cane and beet are the two major causes of sugar production in the world. Sugarcane production in the country could meet only 75% demand of existing sugar mills. In 2017, sugar beet production in Pakistan was 105,783 tonnes while it remained cultivated on a range of 2628 hectares. Present study was illustrated the economic analysis of sugar beet production in Chiniot District and identify the factors affecting the production of sugar beet. For that purpose, primary data were collected from 100 sugar beet growers from district Chiniot by using simple random sampling technique through a well-structured questionnaire for the cropping season 2018-19. The appropriate statistical and econometric method has been used to analyze the data. The multiple linear regression is used when there is more than two independent variables and one dependent variable. There are three columns of the regression variables coefficients and the t-statistics to check the significance of the independent variable and the third column is p-value. The first term is y-intercept and the value is 3.453 and its p-value is 0.002 it means there is significant relationship between y-intercept and dependent variable. Consequences of the research composed and offered in the arrangement of a proposal. Promote appropriate sugar beet pricing system to ensure recovery of at least running and capital cost. Government should give subsidy to ensure a favorable return on sugar beet crop. Promote awareness about sugar beet crop among growers.

Impact of Pyramidal Structure on Firm Performance and Liquidity: The Moderating Role of CEO Power

2026-01-13T06:48:00+00:00

The study examines the impact of pyramidal structure on firm performance and liquidity. It also examines how the CEO's power moderates the relationship between pyramidal structure and firm performance, as well as between pyramidal structure and liquidity. The study utilizes data from 220 non-financial companies listed on the BSE and PSX for the period 2014-2019. The results suggest that the pyramidal structure has a negative influence on firm performance and liquidity. The CEO's power has been measured using three proxies – CEO pay gap, CEO tenure, and CEO founder status. We found that the CEO pay gap does not influence firm performance or liquidity. The CEO tenure and the CEO founder status negatively influence the firm's performance; however, they do not affect the liquidity. The study also finds that the CEO pay gap has a negative moderating effect, while the CEO tenure has a positive moderating effect on the association between pyramidal structure, firm performance, and liquidity. The CEO founder status does not affect the association between pyramidal structure, firm performance, and liquidity. The study confirms the role of the pyramidal structure on firm performance and liquidity. It also examined the moderating role of CEO power on the association between pyramidal structure, firm performance, and liquidity, especially for emerging economies like India and Pakistan.

Does Export Product Diversification Strategies Reshape the Country’s Resilience against Climate Change? Evidence from CAREC Economies

2026-01-14T07:17:59+00:00

Climate change and environmental degradation have emerged as major issues of the globe in the recent decades that required an immediate solution. To cope with this unavoidable problem, the SDGs-13 goal underscores the significance of the developing adaption measures that decrease its adverse influence and eventually safeguard both environment and society. The country's economic fitness (EF) displays its capability to produce complex goods as well as its ability to diversify its product line, is crucial in handling all types of susceptibilities. This study explores the influence of EF on country’s resilience against climate change in CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) economies. An inverted N-shaped relationship is found between EF and country’s resilience against climate change in CAREC nations. Further, the study findings remain robust after additions of other covariates such as financial development (FD), economic growth (EG), and foreign direct investment (FDI). The government should stimulate EF through extensive margins in order to boost country’s resilience.

Financial Inclusion as a Key Driver for Economic Growth in Developing Countries

2026-01-19T09:28:32+00:00

Financial inclusion and ICT may affect economic growth in developing countries. Financial inclusion is a decisive and vital part of economic growth and has become a very strong problem in recent years. Inclusive finance is an element of financial progress. Considering the effects of financial inclusion and information communication and technology, we have investigated how financial access with modern technology influences the growth pattern of developing economies by using data from 2005 to 2020. The random effect results indicate that financial inclusion and information and communication technology are contributing positively towards economic growth in these economies. The study results also show that human capital seems to be affecting the growth of the nations. Moreover, the urban population also affects economic growth. It is recommended that there should be more provision of financial services for more growth. The government should give more free-of-cost education for higher and increased growth. More modern technology should be introduced to make the workers more efficient and increase productivity. Finally, government should give employment chances in the developing economies.

Financial Capability and Financial Wellbeing of Working Women: Mediating Role of Decision-Making Ability

2026-01-29T04:15:41+00:00

The study investigates the ability to manage finances, their capacity to make decisions, and the overall wellbeing of women who work within Pakistan who work in the formal context of their organizations. As women are increasingly represented in the workforce levels in Pakistan, understanding the unique difficulties in managing their finances is essential to ensure the equality of women in financial freedom and equity for gender in financial freedom in and of itself. In this study, we employed a combination of qualitative surveys and interviews to collect comprehensive data on the financial habits of women who work as well as their literacy levels and autonomy regarding financial matters. The most important variables are socio-economic situation, education as well as accessibility to resources for financial planning as well as the policies of an organization will be examined for their influence on women's financial performance. The results show that even though women employed by formal institutions are more likely to have access to resources for financial planning as compared to those working for any other organization however, they face numerous problems making financially informed choices due to social-cultural limitations as well as a lack of financial literacy as well as inadequate support from the organization. It also finds that women with higher socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to show higher financial capacity and independence although this might not be the norm.