Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed the need for a comprehensive and integrated development strategy to effectively address the challenge of rising population during a committee meeting held in Islamabad today.
The committee, formed on the directions of the Prime Minister to control the rapid increase in population, discussed measures that go beyond health interventions. Mr Iqbal underlined that population growth has economic and social dimensions that directly affect all socioeconomic indicators and called for a broader policy response.
The minister said close coordination between the federation and provinces will be ensured for effective population management and announced that the federal government, in collaboration with provincial governments, is preparing a comprehensive action plan. He also proposed gradually reducing the population-based share in the National Finance Commission Award so that resource allocation becomes linked to population reduction.
Present at the meeting were Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Musadik Malik, Member of the National Assembly Dr Saira Afzal Tarar, and sociologist Ms Zeba Sattar. It was decided that the committee will reconvene within ten days to finalise recommendations and map out the next steps for implementing the population management strategy.
