EDITORIAL: In his address to a recent farmers' convention, Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted the nexus between food security and population control. One of the major problems in Pakistan, he said, is a rapidly growing population, which has risen from 40 million in 1947 to more than 220 million at present. The result is that despite having fertile lands and bumper crops, he said, the country had to import four million tonnes of wheat last year, and this year again is expected to import wheat and some other essential commodities to cater to its needs, escalating inflationary pressures. "We are trying to increase our productivity by using modern research and better methods in the field of agriculture," he added.
Stating the obvious, the PM averred that increased agricultural productivity will not ensure self-reliance as long as the population keeps rising at a rapid pace. As it is, Pakistan has the unenviable distinction of having the fastest growing population in South Asia. According to the 2020 World Population Data Sheet, the annual fertility rate in this country is 3.6 children per couple, which is way too high considering that to keep the numbers within manageable limits the fertility rate should be in the vicinity of 2.1 children per couple. At the present pace of growth, experts point out, our population could double in 19.4 years. What that, together with the impending disruptive impact of global warming on agriculture, could mean for sustainable development goals is not hard to imagine. Poverty and illiteracy are known to be major factors responsible for high birth rates along with mutually reinforcing causes such as early marriages and preference for a male child. Another significant barrier to population control is resistance to family planning by certain sections of the clergy. They have managed to stop the public awareness campaigns launched by previous governments. Nonetheless countries with almost similar conditions have made substantial progress on this account. India, for one, has brought down its fertility rate to 2.2.
More relevant is the example of Bangladesh which at the time of breakaway from Pakistan had a lot more inhabitants than the country's western wing. It now boasts an annual growth rate of 2.3. That it has been able to achieve by improving basic health services with a focus on maternal and child healthcare, also facilitating access to contraceptives. No less important, the government engaged local religious leaders in positive conversations to diminish their opposition to family planning. Another Muslim country, Iran, has done even better with a growth rate of just 1.34 percent. If those Muslim countries could do it, so can Pakistan provided the political will is there. Pakistan must benefit from their experiences. It is good to note that Imran Khan wants to control the current runaway population growth. However, when and how he plans to do that remains to be seen.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021