This article is an attempt to explain why poverty has persisted to a great extent in Pakistan, despite sustained growth of national income, and to review two publications dealing with poverty and social development, “Social Development in Pakistan: Annual Review 1999, Social Development in Economic Crisis”, published by the Social Policy and Development Centre, (SDP) and “Human Development in South Asia, 1999: The Crisis of Governance”, published by the Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre (HD).