ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The secretary-general of the Ministry of Finance, Moeen Afzal, has said that Pakistan cannot afford high population growth rate.

Inaugurating a four-day “Workshop on GOP - UNFPA 7th Country Programme 2004-2008” on Monday he said that the government was focusing to reduce the fertility rate and maternal mortality.

He said the high growth rate had undermined the government’s developmental efforts. “It is therefore imperative to reduce the growth rate so that the results of the development are visible,” he added.

Mr Afzal said that if 50 years ago the growth rate would have been one percent less than what it had been, the per capita income would have been doubled.

He said that population and reproductive health issues required a multi sectoral approach and the focus of the government was at present on the social development along with economic development as well.

Earlier, Dr Olivier Brasseur, country representative of the UNFPA, in his welcome address said that the addition of three million people per year was a heavy burden and should to be addressed. Resultantly, he pointed out, the maternal mortality was very high which required the attention of the partners.