ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s total fertility rate (TFR), which has alarmingly remained stagnant at 3.6pc since 2005, has become a matter of concern for policymakers.

On the other hand, traditionally conservative societies like Saudi Arabia have managed to significantly reduce their TFR.

This was stated by speakers at a seminar, ‘Mitigating Pakistan’s population challenges’ organised by the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad.

In his opening remarks, retired Air Vice Marshal Nasserul Haq Wyne underscored the intertwined significance of water, education, economy and population as fundamental pillars influencing the well-being and security of a nation.

Drawing attention to the National Security Policy 2022 hailed as citizen-centric, he acknowledged its emphasis on human security. However, he expressed concerns over the existing gaps between policy creation and its subsequent implementation.

He said the country’s exponential population growth, from 32 million at its independence in 1947 to a staggering 250 million in the present year, made an almost eight-fold increase in 76 years.

Senator Dr Sania Nishtar while speaking on population dynamics and socioeconomic impacts underscored the pressing challenge of population growth as a pivotal factor in Pakistan’s development trajectory, affecting vital sectors such as infrastructure, economy and security.

Highlighting the exponential growth in population, she said Pakistan had witnessed a growth rate that was notably higher than many other Asian nations.

A primary concern she broached was Pakistan’s TFR which has alarmingly remained stagnant since 2005 at 3.6. This statistic becomes especially concerning when juxtaposed with countries like Saudi Arabia, traditionally conservative societies that have nonetheless managed to significantly reduce their TFR.

Shifting the focus to the crucial role of family planning services, she said their accessibility can greatly mitigate the challenges posed by population growth. She also stressed the importance of robust family planning programmes, underlining Pakistan’s low contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), especially when compared to countries like Iran.

In her presentation on Pakistan’s population and gender dynamics, Samia Liaquat Ali Khan, director Impact Tabadlab Islamabad, shed light on pressing issues related to gender disparities, population growth and economic development. She discussed multifaceted challenges women face, particularly in health, education, political empowerment and economic opportunities.

She said that in 2020 Pakistan was ranked third among countries with high maternal and infant mortality rates.

She said 40pc of children under five suffered from malnutrition with a staggering 12 million girls among the 20 million out-of-school children. Over 75pc of 10-year-old in schools grapple with basic reading comprehension, and a concerning 21.8 million youth, aged 15-29, are neither engaged in education nor employment.

Retired Air Marshal Farooq Habib, senior director at CASS, reflected on Pakistan’s longstanding challenges.

Drawing attention to Francis Fukuyama’s ‘getting to Denmark’ concept, he said for nations to reach the levels of development exemplified by countries like Denmark, they must embrace principles like integrity, transparency, accountability, rule of law and meritocracy.

Retired Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan, adviser on aviation to the caretaker prime minister and the president of CASS, presented mementos to the speakers.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2023