Minister concerned over bulging population

Calls for immediate policy, reforms on issue

LAHORE:

Provincial Minister for Population Welfare Muhammad Hashim Dogar expressing his strong concern demanded of the government to form an immediate and comprehensive policy to control a rapid increase in population.

During Punjab Assembly’s session, Dogar drew the lawmakers’ attention intimating that the country’s population will reach 50 million and Punjab at 25 million in 2047.

During the question-answer session, the provincial minister said there is a need to take concrete measures to deal with the situation.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) lawmakers termed the increase as an “atom-bomb” while Zakia Shah Nawaz said the concrete measures be taken to tackle the issue.

Responding to a question, the provincial minister Dogar said population is a gigantic problem facing Pakistan. He said no one bothered this issue except former military ruler and president Ayub Khan.

Read Islamabad struggles to cope with population boom

He said no government took this issue as serious. He said the government is working on this issue along with the assistance of 1,400 Ulema in around 10 districts of the province.

The people are being given awareness on how to control the population.

He also proposed to initiate a general debate on this issue in the Assembly’s session so that the lawmakers from both sides could put their opinions.

He said Pakistan stood at 12th position in the population ranking of the world.

PML-N’s lawmakers said there was a need to take serious steps on this issue in a similar way as the then Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif took to deal with dengue.

House proceedings started with laps of two hours chaired by Panel of Chairmen Mian Shafi. Later, the house was adjourned for Monday 1:00 pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2021.