KARACHI:
While the PTI-led government along with their concerned stakeholders remains busy with economic and political developments in the country, the long-overlooked issue of overpopulation is rapidly exacerbating. Even if we agree that political and economic policies play a pivotal role in development and prosperity, it will be of no use if Pakistan fails to minimise the mess brought about by overpopulation and urbansiation.
Of late, the country’s population growth rate stands at 2% and, if this rate remains steady, it is predicted that in about 35 years the population will eventually become double of what it was back in 2001. The country also has one of the highest birth rates in the world — 22 births per 1,000 people. Owing to the rapidly increasing growth rate, the country is heading towards a massive crisis which will entail wide-scale unemployment, food insecurity, water storage and environment problems. In order to seriously curb the growth rate, the concerned authorities need to promote the idea of family planning. People should stop looking at these practices from the perspective of Western secularism, instead it must be acknowledged that family planning is a necessity and a solution to a very real problem that exists in Pakistan.
The government must enact well thought-out policies in this regard. Religious scholars should be brought on board in order to spread awareness regarding the matter. We can also learn from China’s single child policy which played a significant role in controlling their burgeoning population. Lastly, rural areas must not be not overlooked.
Irfan Rasheed Baloch
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2021.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
