PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF FOREIGN AID AND PERCEIVED NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY IN PAKISTAN: EVIDENCE FROM FAISALABAD, PUNJAB

Abstract

Foreign aid in Pakistan is not only the source of development financing but also the potential source of external interference and economic dependency. This study's aim was to assess the perception towards foreign aid and its association with perceived national sovereignty restriction in adults residing in Faisalabad. The data were collected from the sample of 123 respondents who completed a structured cross-sectional questionnaire. Foreign aid was measured through Strategic Intent, Socio-Economic Effectiveness, and Humanitarian Goodwill, while dependency was represented by Macro-Financial Reliance and Everyday Debt Burden. Pearson correlation, regression, and mediation analysis were used. Strategic Intent (r = .461, p < .001) and Humanitarian Goodwill (r = .475, p < .001) were significantly associated with perceived sovereignty restriction. Socio-Economic Effectiveness had a weak bivariate association (r = .187, p = .038) but was not a significant independent predictor (β = .054, p = .491). The three aid dimensions explained 31.6% of variance in perceived sovereignty restriction. Everyday Debt Burden partially mediated the Strategic Intent–sovereignty association (indirect effect = .134, 95% CI [.076, .202]), while Macro-Financial Reliance did not mediate the proposed effectiveness pathway. Including dependency variables increased explained variance to 49.2%. Findings indicate that respondents distinguish aid effectiveness from dependency and autonomy. Because the design is cross-sectional and non-probability based, results describe associations among surveyed respondents rather than causal or province-wide effects.