ESTIMATED to cross 300 million by 2040, Pakistan’s population growth threatens to negate all its endeavours for economic and social progress and its hopes of becoming a peaceful and prosperous country.

While it ought to have been the first and the foremost priority of the state to manage and control this ticking population bomb, there is little to show even the slightest movement in this direction. As concerned citizens, we believe that the state has completely failed to appreciate, understand and implement an effective multipronged strategy to tackle this threat.

Conducting a few meetings once or twice a year, followed by little or no action, can only placate official files, but it cannot be the solution to any problem. There is already enough information available on the subject and enough role models, such as Iran and Bangladesh, are there to follow.

Why must Pakistan continue to remain oblivious and unresponsive to even notice, much less respond to this fundamental and crucial crisis? I urge the policymakers to forget all differences and collectively push for reducing the total fertility rate from 3.6 to 2.1.

Permit me to quote from Iqbal:

Naeem Sadiq

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2021