Govt committed to controlling population growth: Ahsan

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal Tuesday said that the government was committed to focus on controlling population growth for the socioeconomic development of the country.

He said the increasing population issue could be addressed only by providing proper education, basic health facilities to the people and by reducing poverty in the country.

“After the 18th amendment, the population department has become a provincial subject and the federal government will work closely with the provinces in order to control the population growth in the country,” Ahsan Iqbal said addressing a National Consultative Forum on population growth.

The forum was organised by ministry of Planning, Development and Reform in collaboration with ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination and United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA).

The minister said Pakistan was the first country in Asia to introduce a comprehensive population control program which was followed by a number of countries and after implementing the program, they succeeded in controlling population growth in their respective countries but Pakistan did not gave importance to the program.

“We have paid a big price for not giving importance to population control program which resulted in rapid growth in the country’s population,” Ahsan remarked.

He said with population of over 190 million, the country was facing a number of difficulties in providing basic facilities like energy, health and education to its citizens.

The minister said the country had to suffer a huge loss due to terrorism in the country but due to prudent policies of the PML-N led government, the country was moving towards peace and economic stability.

“Now the international rating agencies are also appreciating the economic performance of Pakistan and terming it an attractive destination for the trade and investment,” Ahsan Iqbal added.

He revealed that the government was launching a nationwide campaign for promoting basic education especially for women. The minister said that education especially for women was very vital to educate the whole family.

He said there was no shortcut in development of any country and a country needed consistencies in its policies for decades adding that “we also need consistency and stability in our policies to make our country more prosperous and developed”.

The minister said the government was committed to increase the GDP growth rate up to 7 percent to provide employment opportunities to youth in the country.