ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has called upon all the people of Pakistan to control the population growth to ensure provision of all basic facilities to the whole population.
Taking to Twitter today (Sunday), the Planning Minister said that Pakistan should make population growth reduction one of its top national priorities to achieve impact in key development areas.
“Let’s say Pakistan had enough capacity to provide quality education to only half its kids. If Pak population growth drops to that of Bangladesh, in 10 years we will accommodate every child in the country of primary school age and in 15 years in secondary school,” Umar wrote.
Let’s say Pakistan had enough capacity to provide quality education to only half its kids. If Pak population growth drops to that of bangladesh, in 10 years we will accommodate every child in the country of primary school age and in 15 years in secondary school #KhairKhwah
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 11, 2021
In a separate video message on Twitter, Umar said, “Being a Planning Minister, I tell you all that with this alarming increase in our population, it has become quite difficult for us to provide the people with the basic necessities of life,” he remarked.
One of the key challenges for Pakistan is its high population growth. It makes increasing literacy, providing health care, ensuring livelihood opportunities, providing electricity & gas, and meeting all other development needs much more difficult #KhairKhwah #WorldPopulationDay pic.twitter.com/XmwbqyNfcW
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 11, 2021
Asad said with humongous growth in population, resources which were in plenty, start diminishing over time. “Here in Pakistan resources are already limited. Apart from this, a woman giving birth to a number of children puts her life at stake as well as her kids,” he added.
In another tweet, the federal minister wrote, “With such a phenomenal impact in such short duration on key development outcomes, we should make population growth reduction as one of our top national priorities.”
President Alvi underlines need for awareness about prosperous family
In a video message on World Population Day, President Dr Arif Alvi urged the people to fully support and spread the message of ‘Khair Khawa’ programme, creating awareness in the society about a prosperous family.
President Dr. Arif Alvi’s special message on the occasion of World Population Day.@ArifAlvi#WorldPopulationDay#WorldPopulation pic.twitter.com/Baz9FzYjfE
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) July 11, 2021
The president said that they wanted Pakistan to emerge as healthier and prosperous country. He said in this connection, they had launched a programme titled ‘Khair Khawa’ which meant a person looking for the well-being of a family.
He said that there were cases of malnutrition and stunting in those children who had been born with narrow birth spacing. “This is an important thing which must be addressed as it is often neglected by the society,” he stressed.
