Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested an immediate national policy to address the rapid growth rate of Pakistan’s population on Thursday.
Pakistan is home to a vast population of more than 251 million, according to World Bank figures. In 2023, it was reported that the population growth rate reached around 2.55 percent. However, almost forty -five percent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, according to a World Bank report.
The prime minister described the high growth rate of the population as an “alarming trend” and said that an immediate and coordinated policy action was required nationwide to address the problem. The World Bank reported the annual growth rate of Pakistan by 2024 as 1.5pc.
The statement was produced during a high -level meeting chaired by the prime minister in his office to review the challenges posed by the growing population of Pakistan and deliberate on effective strategies to administer it, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office.
The meeting was also attended by the Federal Minister of Planning and Development Ahsan IQBAL, Federal Minister of Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister of Information and Badda de Badadera de Tarar, Federal Minister of Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Federal Minister of Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, together with high institutions of institutions.
“We need comprehensive planning to ensure that our growing population, especially young people, becomes a productive part of the economy,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz.
“A great segment of our population includes young people, who are the most valuable asset for our country.”
He stressed that the government was taking several initiatives to empower young people and integrate them into the country’s economic current.
“Opportunities are being created to allow our young people to play a central role in national development,” he added.
Speaking about the inclusion of gender, Shehbaz stressed the critical importance of women’s participation in the workforce.
“Women constitute a significant portion of our human capital. We must guarantee greater employment opportunities for them,” he said.
The prime minister instructed the formation of a committee to develop a integral and effective national policy, in close collaboration with the provincial governments.
“A unified and strategic response is the need for the time,” he said, asking for a federal coordinated framework to address the problems related to the population.
He also emphasized the importance of launching an awareness campaign throughout the country to educate citizens about the implications of population growth without control, especially in the context of sustainable economic development.
During the meeting, the prime minister was informed about several proposals and recommendations to manage population growth. The officials emphasized that any long -term solution would require an active provincial collaboration and public participation at the base level.
Last month, the Minister of Health, Mustafa Kamal, said that population growth in Pakistan has reached an alarming level. He highlighted the broad consequences of the demographic challenge, including more than 25 million children who were currently out of school and overcrowding in government hospitals.
In June, parliamentarians unanimously approved a resolution of the stabilization of the population and promised to place it in the National Assembly.
