Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced to launch a comprehensive campaign to check the population growth.
He was addressing the concluding session of one day national symposium on ‘Alarming Growth in Population in Islamabad on Wednesday organized by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said under the campaign family planning and environment protection will be made part of curriculum.
He said on the pattern of Bangladesh and Iran, religious scholars will also be taken on board besides the media to raise awareness amongst the people about family planning.
Voicing concerns over the rapid increase in population, the Prime Minister specially thanked the Chief Justice of Pakistan for taking the initiative on this serious issue.
He said we have established task forces both at the national and provincial levels to ensure implementation of family planning programs. He said we are working in coordination with the provinces on the issue of population.
Imran Khan regretted the issue was neglected in the past and every segment of the society will have to take the ownership of the campaign on population control in order to make it successful. He said latest technology including social media will be used to disseminate information about family planning methods.
The Prime Minister said rule of law is necessary to take forward any country.
He said the basis of success of state of Madina was rule of law. He said democracy and law complement each other.
Imran Khan said visionary leaders think ahead of times and unfortunately the leadership in the last three decades did not vision or plan anything for development of the country. He said short term planning does not bear fruit, and only long term planning is a recipe to success.
The Prime Minister said in new Pakistan rule of law is being implemented. He referred to the case of CDA that despite being under to him asked questions about his property in Banigala.
Imran Khan said legislation is on the cards to revamp the outdated justice system. He said we have prepared six laws including amendments to the civil procedure code.
Referring to the successul tree plantation campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imran Khan said we now will plan ten billion plants in five years.
Earlier, in his address Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said the rapid rate of population is putting immense stress on our limited resources.
He said essential resources like water are already facing pressure due to increased use by expanding population. He lamented that no attention was paid to build dams for the last 40 years.
Mian Saqib Nisar said we have to promote the better usage of water in the country to meet the requirements of burgeoning population. He said population of Pakistan could reach to 450 million in thirty years if current rate of growth is not checked.
He said media can play an important role in spreading awareness about merits of less population for national development.
He assured the government of judiciary’s complete cooperation in implementing a Madinah like state in Pakistan.
Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme Dr Sanya Nishtar said serious steps need to be taken to check the rampant growth in population. She gave three point recommendations on this issue.
Renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel said Imran Khan is the first prime minister who presented the concept of state of Madinah. He said poverty and social pressures are important causes of population growth. Maulana Tariq Jameel said the issue of population control needs to be seriously taken.
Earlier, Secretary Ministry of National Health Services Zahid Saeed informed the participants that a nationwide campaign to highlight the issue of population control will be started in cooperation with all provinces soon.
The Secretary said a number of meetings were held on the issue and the provinces have also given their recommendations on controlling the population. He said the Prime Minister called meeting of Council of Common Interest on this issue in which all recommendations were approved with consensus.
He said Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and the main reasons of this alarming increase are lack of awareness and no clear policy on this issue.
Prominent experts and distinguished scholars also highlighted new demographic realities of Pakistan, family planning in the context of mother and child health, quality of population and productivity and advocacy campaign for population planning in the country.
A documentary on population dynamics was presented at the event, while renowned vocalist Shahzad Roy sang the theme song.
