PM Shehbaz calls for ‘effective national policy’ on population surge

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered for establishment of a committee to create an effective policy and strategy to address the matter of growing population and its problems.

“An effective strategy should be formulated with the provinces’ cooperation to deal with the growing population and its problems. A national-level policy in this regard is need of the hour,” said the premier, presiding over a meeting to discuss measures to solve the problems related to the country’s growing population.

During the meeting, various recommendations were presented to the prime minister.

Addressing the forum, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan’s annual population growth rate was 2.55% and there was a need for planning to manage the rapidly growing population and make them an active part of the country’s economy.

“A large portion of the country’s population consists of youth and they are a crucial and valuable asset to our country,” said the prime minister.

Population projected to exceed 386m mark by 2050: minister

He said multiple measures were being taken to provide opportunities for the youth to play a role in the economic development.

“Women are a very large part of our workforce. Measures should be taken to provide maximum employment opportunities for them,” he said.

The meeting, which was attended by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Dr Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Education Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, and high officials from relevant institutions, stressed that a national-level policy is needed, with the cooperation of the provinces, to address this issue.

The meeting also highlighted that in the context of economic development, it is essential to run a national-level awareness campaign among the public regarding the growing population.

On July 2, Federal Minister for Planning Iqbal had expressed his serious concern over the current annual population growth rate of 2.55 per cent, after the meeting he was chairing was told that Pakistan’s population is projected to exceed 386 million by 2050.

The high-level meeting on population management had concluded with consensus on establishing a National Population Commission under the leadership of the prime minister, with representation from all four provinces.

Minister Iqbal had instructed the stakeholders that the proposed commission be tasked with setting targets, ensuring accountability, and driving a unified national strategy on population management.

The minister had said that population is a provincial subject after 18th amendment, and provinces are responsible for service delivery in family planning and reproductive health, population dynamics affect national priorities.