If population growth spirals out of control, it poses severe challenges of unemployment, education, health, housing, urbanisation and food security. Pakistan is confronted with a horrendous problem of overpopulation. As estimated (July 2012) by CIA Fact book, Pakistan with 190,291,129 people living on its soil is the sixth most populous country on the globe and the fourth in Asia. When Pakistan became independent in 1947, its population was estimated at 32 million. Sixty-five years later, it has increased 5.6 times to 190 million.
The unchecked population growth is causing a catastrophic strain on the developing economy of Pakistan. No one can deny that achieving desirable rates of population growth could be an important factor in bringing sustainability of resources and averting energy problems. Food problem and population are inter-connected. The price of food commodities have gone five times up in Pakistan, compared to three years ago.
Family planning is necessary to improve the condition of the Pakistani masses. We cannot improve the condition of the masses without limiting the size of the family. The root causes of overpopulation are: a) unbalanced growth rate of rural-urban migration making rural land unused and cities become crowded. b) Low governmental spending on awareness campaigns. c) Low literacy rate as compared to other countries. d) Paucity of funds and capital for educational development sector. China is spending 12.1% of its total yearly budget on education, US 17.1%, UK 11.5, Iran 17.7%, Canada 12.7%, UAE 22.5% whereas education expenditure of Pakistan is 7.8 percent.
How to control the ticking of population explosion? Pakistan has to learn from the strategy of other successful countries, like China, Bangladesh and Egypt. China brought down the country’s rapid population growth by encouraging “one-child family” and providing the family with free education until the age of 18. Bangladesh recorded impressive gains in slowing population growth by adopting the slogan “chhoto paribar, sukhi paribar” (small family, happy family). The religious clerics in Bangladesh would inform people about the significance of family planning in their sermons. Contraceptives were distributed and literature was given out to spread awareness about the importance of family planning and safe sex.
Egypt controlled its burgeoning population through the “fatwas and edicts” issued from various centres of Islamic learning endorsing family planning. Egypt has registered a swift decline in their population growth rates. The populations of 47 European nations are on the downward slide from 728 million this year to 653 million in 2050. This is probably due to well-thought policies marked by importance attributed to small family. We have to overcome the problem on war-footing as a moderate population is a pre-requisite for our national development. Pakistan should adopt a holistic approach on it, i.e. on the one hand, the ulemas and religious scholars should play a motivating role and change the social attitudes of the people with regards to gender equality and family size; on the other hand, the government will have to improve awareness campaigns coupled with the contraceptive delivery services in the country.
MUHAMMAD ASLAM KHOKHAR
Lahore
