ISLAMABAD: As the country’s rapidly growing population continues to put pressure on the economy, resources and public services, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Thursday of a fresh national effort to reduce the population growth rate from the current 2.55 percent to 1.25 percent by 2035.
During a high-level review meeting on population welfare, the prime minister was briefed that the government was preparing a National Stabilisation Plan for 2026-2035 aimed at slowing population growth and establishing a coordinated policy framework for population management.
Officials told the meeting that rising population growth had emerged as a major development challenge, requiring a broader approach focused on healthcare, education, youth development, increasing women’s participation in the workforce, vocational training and social protection programmes.
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Calling rapid population growth the country’s “biggest challenge”, the prime minister said population welfare measures must be treated as a national priority to ensure sustainable economic and social development.
“Balanced population growth is the guarantee of sustainable national development,” he said, stressing that population planning needed to be aligned with national development goals, economic stability and improvements in human resources.
The prime minister said effective policies and public awareness campaigns would play a key role in addressing the issue and directed authorities to convene a meeting of the National Population Council at the earliest.
The meeting will be attended by representatives from all provinces, the chief ministers of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, relevant federal institutions and other stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive strategy for population welfare.
Officials said the government had also begun work on linking federal social protection initiatives with population welfare objectives as part of broader development planning.
The prime minister called for stronger coordination between federal and provincial governments on population-related initiatives, stressing the need for collective efforts to address the challenge.
The meeting was attended by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, National Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema and senior government officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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