Comprehensive strategy needed to control population boom: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umer Ata Bandial on Friday stressed the need for evolving a comprehensive strategy to control the rampant increase in population adding that apart from government every individual of the society will have to come forward and offer solutions to the state.

The Chief Justice was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day National Conference on Resilient Pakistan “Calibrating Population and Resources”, organized by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) in collaboration with the Population Program Wing (PPW) of the Ministry of Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (M/o NHSR&C), at the Supreme Court.

Judges of the Supreme Court, including Justice Ijazul Ahsen, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan attended the inaugural session. However, Justice Qazi Faez isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah did not attend the conference.

The event was organised to provide a forum for sharing experiences, best practices and evolving strategies to address the population challenge and creating a dialogue by bringing together national and international speakers and participants to make the event meaningful and interactive for a progressive Pakistan.

The Chief Justice said that this is not a legal forum but if there are solutions before us in black and white, we can evaluate their relevance or their propriety, sufficiency for addressing their issues and for the enforcement of their rights.

“We cannot devise the solution but it will be people like you and you will have to come forward,” the CJP said adding that the time today requires the people of Pakistan to come forward and offer solution to the state.

The chief justice said that we need community service and a through public-private partnership. “I think in my humble estimation, the issues can be tackled, we must bring in education and particularly, vocational training and skill-based training system as well.”

Recalling his youth, the chief justice said that when they used to travel between Lahore and Peshawar, there were two dozen vocational training centers on the highway but today we see none. “And where they have gone?” the CJP questioned.

“These are the simple things, we must go back to simple solution and our lives and our needs must be simple,” the CJP said.

“We have to overcome and we have to create opportunities and have to create talent and skills so that our population not only provides the services required in Pakistan but also answers the requirement of jobs abroad”, the Chief Justice maintained.

He stressed for examining as to how Iran and Bangladesh managed to control their ever-increasing populations adding that the two states could be considered as case studies.