How many are we?

The 2017 census in Pakistan is successfully under way. But what will have happen when the Bureau of Statistics will announce the actual figure of the country’s population? The rising and changing demographics of Pakistan will come as a shock to many. In 2015, Pakistan’s estimated population was over 191.71 million, making it the world’s sixth most populous country, ranking below Brazil and above Nigeria. There would be serious consequences and effects of this fast increasing population in terms of poverty, environmental degradation and political stability.

Unfortunately, people in Pakistan do not prefer to control the population due to their beliefs and faith. They think birth control programmes are completely against the teachings and injunctions of Islam. There is no comprehensive and inclusive population control programme at the government level. Despite the fact that population control can involve measures that will improve peoples’ lives, our government has done little in this regard. The population of Pakistan after the 2017 census is expected to peak. However, soon after, the population will decrease due to economic reasons, health concerns, land exhaustion and environmental hazards. The whole nation should be prepared for what is to come.

Engr Mansoor Ahmed

Faisalabad