Parliamentarians declare population boom mother of all ills

Islamabad: Pakistan’s rapidly growing population is the root cause of several national challenges, including poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, health crises, and rising mortality rates, parliamentarians from different political parties Monday said, and called for strong political will to address the issue. They emphasized that tackling this problem is essential for the country’s prosperity.

“Lady Health Workers (LHWs) are pivotal in delivering home-based family planning services, especially in hard-to-reach areas. By engaging families and religious leaders, they create awareness and empower women with choices, tipping the scales in service delivery,” stated Senator Sherry Rehman at the 12th meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population (PFP), organized by the Population Council and supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

In her remarks, Senator Rehman referred to the Pakistan @2050 study, which presents two possible futures for the country: the “Business-as-Usual” (BaU) scenario, which would exacerbate existing problems, and a roadmap based on decisions made by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) that could lead to a 37 percent improvement in per capita outcomes. She emphasized that population growth impacts every vital sector, including education, health, and the economy, and addressing it must transcend political divides. She further stressed the importance of female education for empowering women to make decisions about family size, and warned that unchecked population growth contributes to climate change and the depletion of national resources, calling the rapid increase in population size a “ticking bomb.”

“Every 10 minutes, a woman in Pakistan dies from preventable causes. Strengthening family planning services and ensuring effective delivery mechanisms are key to saving lives and promoting sustainable development,” she said.

She urged provincial assemblies to adopt resolutions for sustainable population growth and called on the media to lead awareness campaigns to inspire collective action.Dr Zeba Sathar, Country Director of the Population Council, demanded immediate accountability on CCI decisions. She emphasized the need to integrate population welfare indicators into the National Finance Commission (NFC) formula and reduce the weightage of population size in resource allocation.

“Pakistan needs equitable distribution of resources under the NFC, especially for underserved regions like Balochistan, which faces the highest maternal mortality rates and unmet contraceptive needs,” she asserted.

Dr Farooq Sattar, Member of the National Assembly, described population growth as the “mother of all issues,” urging stronger political will to address it.“Population growth impacts health, education, and economic sectors. To tackle this crisis, local governments must play a larger role in service delivery, and socio-cultural barriers must be addressed through awareness campaigns,” he said.

He also called for implementing CCI recommendations and engaging leadership across political parties to create a unified approach to balancing population and resources.Dr. Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Country Representative for Pakistan, underscored the critical role of parliamentarians in advancing reproductive health rights.

He stressed that the PFP must hold governments accountable for implementing CCI decisions and ensuring the strategic allocation of resources to improve population welfare and social indicators.

MPA Uzma Kardar, from the Punjab Assembly, called for a joint resolution on sustainable population growth to strengthen legislation and amplify a unified voice. She emphasized engaging standing committees and ensuring departmental accountability.

Balochistan MPA Zmarak Khan highlighted challenges in health and family planning sectors in the province, stressing the need for increased and equitable resource allocation. He also urged consultation with community leaders alongside political representatives.

At the forum, parliamentarians pledged to advocate for legislative actions to accelerate momentum on a critical national issue. They committed to integrating family planning and sustainable population themes into education and enhancing service delivery through local governments. The 12th PFP meeting stressed prioritizing population stabilization in policy agendas for a sustainable future.