Population termed top development issue

LAHORE:

Provincial Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the Punjab government is committed to making population stabilisation a top development priority but the unchecked growth cannot be addressed by it solely.

"This is not a challenge the government can address alone; it requires the collective commitment of families, communities, religious leaders, the private sector and development partners. Punjab is ready to lead by translating evidence into action," she said at an event organised by the Population Council with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Describing population stabilisation as critical for Punjab's economic growth and human capital development, the senior minister announced the adoption of a whole of government strategy aimed at accelerating fertility decline, expanding access to voluntary family planning and scaling up evidence-based interventions throughout the province.

She said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif would oversee progress on the population agenda.