'Rising population creating other problems'

Millions of women still not permitted to freely decide the timing and spacing when giving birth

LAHORE: Pakistan is going through a serious problem of an ever-increasing population that has given birth to other problems in the country, said Planning and Development (P&D) Chairman Habibur Rehman Gillani.

He stated this while addressing a seminar in connection with World Population Day 2019 organised by Punjab Population Innovation Fund (PPIF). The chairman said that despite remarkable progress, there are still millions of women who are not permitted or empowered to freely decide the timing and spacing when giving birth to their children.  He added that in spite of efforts by the population welfare department, many women are not provided with sexual and reproductive health facilities. Population Welfare Department Secretary Muhammad Hassan Iqbal said that child marriage is a human rights violation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2019.