Abstract
Pakistan is the world's fifth most populous country, with predictions that up to 40 percent of its population will be living in poverty due to pre-existing socio-economic disparities, combined with the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis. Poverty, the prevalence of organized crime, a weak criminal justice system, systemic corruption, and poor governance amplify the problems of the poor and indigent in Pakistan. This chapter explores the overlapping impact of these issues upon the poor in Pakistan, drawing from a host of institutional sources, such as the United Nations, the US State Department's 'Trafficking in Persons Report', and other academic sources. The chapter notes that despite some advances in ameliorating the parasitical relationship between organized crime and poverty, in some areas of Pakistan, there is a requirement for much more activism beyond the enactment of legislation. Significant improvements are required in governance and the administration of justice to advance the life quality of poor Pakistanis and their freedom from general crime, organized crime, and the penury that blights their lives.