Balancing resources: President Mamnoon proposes task force on population issues

ISLAMABAD:

President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday proposed the creation of a task force to review the country’s population boom while pleading for a balance between demographic features and resources.

“The task force after being constituted shall meet after every six months to review matters related to the rapidly growing population,” said the president on Thursday while addressing the inaugural session of a two-day population summit.

President Mamnoon appreciated the role played by Ulema and religious scholars in creating awareness among public on issues related to family planning. Pakistan will carry out a census next year, he said.

Addressing the participants, State Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) Saira Afzal Tarar said the country’s population is estimated to be 191 million. ‘This population is expected to rise to 210 million by the year 2020 which is seriously alarming and worrisome,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2015.