KARACHI, Sept 23: The Federal Minister for Population Welfare, Choudhri Shahbaz Hussein, addressing officials of the Sindh population welfare department on Thursday , said all influential segments of society including religious scholars and imams of mosques will be actively involved in population growth programmes.

He particularly referred to the strategy evolved by the NWFP's population welfare ministry, headed by a minister belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami who, realising intensity of the situation, had approached various religious leaders of sound repute among the masses.

These scholars have recorded their sermons highlighting the significance of population control and the fact that it was permissible under Islamic injunctions, the minister said, mentioning that recorded cassettes of these were being distributed among the masses.

Ch Shahbaz Hussein also mentioned that decrees issued by scholars associated with the Al-Azhar University of Egypt, and various institutions of Iran and Bangladesh were also being reviewed and would be dispatched to Pakistan-based teachers and leaders so that a consensus could be developed in the larger interest of the nation.

The federal ministry for population welfare is in the process of streamlining a wide range of activities, in terms of both service delivery and public motivation, ultimately containing the country's current population growth rate.

He said the male population would be particularly focussed on and an efficient strategy would be evolved to convince them regarding the significance of available interventions and its impact on their health and that of their spouses and children.

The minister maintained that due attention was also being extended towards quality services and facilities coupled with availability of well-trained personnel at all health care units.

According to him, measures were being adopted to ensure that all basic health units across the country had relevant facilities for couples willing to acquire necessary assistance. - APP