KARACHI:
Apropos Ms Fiza Farhan’s article ‘Population control — Pakistan’s greatest Challenge’ published in these columns. Population of a country should be in line with the available resources. The concept of Family Planning was introduced some 60 years back. There has been a lot of research in China and India over the last 50 years on this important issue. While China strictly implemented one-child policy, India followed a three-child policy up to the year 1970 and a two-child policy thereafter — with good results.
On the other hand, Pakistan became a mute spectator on this important issue with a result that it is overpopulated at least by 50 million, according to some estimates. Excess population is of one of the major reasons behind rising inflation. If Pakistan’s population had been 50 million less i.e. 170 million, it would not have been grappling with issues like high inflation, lack of housing units, water scarcity, unemployment, deforestation, black marketing, political unrest, etc. And with a high per capita income, Pakistan would be on top of entire South Asia. An overpopulated Pakistan is lagging behind other South Asian countries by something like 50 years.
Ravi Kumar Emani
Hyderabad, India
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2023.
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