ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the critical need to strike a balance between the country’s population growth and its available resources to achieve sustainable development.
Leading a key session on population welfare in Islamabad today, the Prime Minister pointed out that the rapid increase in population is exerting mounting pressure on national resources and presents a significant hurdle to Pakistan’s development goals. He stressed the importance of integrating population planning into broader national development, economic stability, and human resource enhancement strategies.
Shehbaz Sharif instructed officials to expedite the formation of the National Population Council’s inaugural meeting and to finalize its organizational framework promptly, ensuring that the council can effectively shape policies on population-related issues at the national level.
The Prime Minister announced that he would personally oversee the activities of the National Population Council, which will include Chief Ministers from all four provinces, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, and other vital stakeholders.
During the meeting, it was revealed that social safety programs will be linked with family planning efforts, and empowering women through education and economic opportunities will be central to the population management plan.
A comprehensive awareness campaign will be launched nationwide to promote balanced population growth, with examples from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Iran, which have successfully implemented population control initiatives.
It was further discussed that the National Population Council, working alongside provincial administrations, will spearhead the implementation of this broad-based population awareness drive. The Secretariat of the Council will be established within the Ministry of Planning to facilitate its operations.
