LAHORE: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Coordinator Saif ur Rehman has cautioned that Pakistan’s unchecked population growth is rapidly devouring the fruits of development and posing a serious threat to the country’s economic and social stability.
Talking to a delegation of entrepreneurs led by Sitara Arif, President Pakistan-Japan Socio Economic Association (PJSEA) here on Sunday, he said that with limited resources and rising demands, the ever increasing population is putting immense pressure on food supplies, healthcare, education, housing, and employment opportunities.
Despite various development initiatives, he cited, the benefits fail to reach the common man because the population is expanding at a much faster pace than national resources and infrastructure.
He warned that if immediate and effective measures are not taken, the population explosion may emerged as a dangerous social bomb in the near future. Poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and scarcity of basic facilities are already creating frustration among the youth, which may lead to social unrest and rising crime rates. Rapid urbanization without planning is also causing environmental degradation and burdening major cities, he added.
Leader of the delegation Sitara Arif said Pakistan urgently needs a comprehensive population control strategy based on public awareness, education, and easy access to family planning services.