Plan for the population

The rapid growth rate of Pakistan’s population continues to confront our policymakers and the ruling elite. Indeed, present guesstimates about Pakistan’s current population figure (since the last census was conducted in 1998), range anywhere between 190 million and 200 million, which should be a cause for alarm for anyone who has a stake in Pakistan’s future welfare. Our foremost priority should be to arrest the population growth rate. It is proposed that a Population Control & Regulation Authority (PCRA) be established in every province. This would be an immensely wise step provided the authority is an effective one.

Our education and health sectors cannot flourish properly until the population growth rate is stymied. The other day, I heard a stakeholder mention that the sports standard of the country is deteriorating as more and more localities and colleges are converting their amenity plots and parks to concrete development in order to cater to the needs of a growing flood of human beings (residents, students & employees). It is time our ruling elite incorporated ‘family planning’ in the national agenda as well as in NAP so that the growing mismatch between our resources and our population is rectified expeditiously.

Abbas R Siddiqi

Lahore