Population control next priority, says CJP

LONDON: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Saturday said he would kick-start a campaign in December to raise awareness about the importance of having small families and he would start it from his family.

“Launching a campaign to control a burgeoning population is my next priority and I will start it from my own family,” he said. He was speaking to Geo Television’s Live Global Telethon from Manchester which raised £2.3 million in donations — the biggest ever amount ever raised since the launch of the chief justice’s appeal for dams’ construction.

The chief justice said he would advise his children about the significance of having a small family.

Keeping in mind that this was a sensitive matter for the society, he hoped the public will fully support and cooperate with the campaign. According to the recent census, Pakistan has a population of over 200.77 million and is the sixth most populous country in the world.

In the 80’s the government started an awareness campaign titled ‘Bache do he achay’; however, the campaign going on for 20 years ended in a failure as the issue was highly sensitive in the society.

He said: “In my remaining tenure, I will start another campaign. Our resources are shrinking. Our population has exploded. In 30 years we will have 45 crore population, look at our educational and health needs, our water crisis and other issues. We will start population control campaign. We could have started it on 5th December but Prime Minister Imran Khan is busy on that day. Now we will now start it on 12th December.”

The top judge reminded the audience of the once popular campaign slogan ‘Bache do he achay’ (two kids are good enough) and exhorted his own unmarried children not to have more than two kids.

The chief justice said he was first alarmed by reports of a looming water crisis in Pakistan during the hearing of a case involving dirty water in Karachi and generally in Sindh.

Then soon after he went to Quetta for a case where the issue came up during his meeting with former Balochistan chief ministers Dr Muhammad Malik and Sanaullah Zehri.

He said the project was a national patriotic duty and exhorted the British Pakistanis to help build two dams.

The chief justice said he was deterred by the idea of going out in public asking for donations but then decided not to care for what the critics say or feel as “we are a nation short of resources and water is life, it’s linked with life and our future generations will have nothing if we don’t have enough water and I decided to do my bit”.

Speaking about the money looted and laundered abroad, the chief justice said those who looted Pakistan and sent the looted money abroad will be held accountable.

The chief justice said he would not have to make an appeal for donations [for dams] if the looted money had been spent on construction of the much-needed dams.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s adviser and friend Aneel Musarrat has organised the event at the Seridan Suite which was attended by more than 1,500 people.

The host of Capital Talk and renowned journalist Hamid Mir hosted the event.

He was joined on the stage for the four-hour transmission by Naeem Bukhari, boxer Amir Khan and British Pakistani community in Manchester including Aneel Musarrat, Riz Khan, Anjum Majeed, Bilal Maqsood and many others.

He questioned how come nearly 3 billion rupees was transferred out of Pakistan to buy properties in the UAE and Dubai.

The CJP didn’t name anyone as to how the money was sent abroad but asked: “How did you make Rs3 billion rupees property in Duabi and the UAE and how did this money go out of Pakistan? You will have to provide answers for that. All that money belongs to the people of Pakistan. That money belongs to Pakistani taxpayers. You will have to spend it on Pakistan. That money will be used for construction of dams and I will not have to ask anyone for money for the dams.”

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar announced his plans to launch an awareness campaign for family planning.

The top judge shared that he was disappointed in some of the most influential, privileged and important people of Pakistan who could have donated big sums for the dams but they didn’t. He said those who are privileged should know that they are what they are because of Pakistan.

He shared stories of ordinary people, kids, women and disadvantaged who had been a tremendous source of inspiration and went the whole hog to help him raise the money.

He said a group of children sold their toys and gave him 6 thousand rupees while a young child gave him coins of 5 rupees. He said it’s the ordinary people who inspired him to collect money for dams.