HARIPUR, Feb 14: Burgeoning population was held responsible for Pakistan's socio-economic woes by speakers at a seminar here on Thursday.

Entitled "growing population and its negative effects", the seminar was arranged by the economics society of Frontier Education Foundation Girls Degree College, Haripur.

The function was presided over by Ms Saeeda Shaheen, the principal and head of economics society.

The speakers saw low rate of literacy and lack of awareness among public as contributors to unchecked population growth.

This, they said, ate away not only the country's meagre resources but also contributed to the people's sufferings in a big way.

Unemployment, malnutrition, high rates of mother and child mortality and, above all, the ever-rising trend of crimes in society clearly indicated the nation's poor state of affairs, said Ms Sonia in her speech.

Prof Razia Bano said education and awareness about the need to arrest the unplanned population growth could bring to an end the nation's economic and social troubles.

Ms Saeeda Shaheen said the growing population would, one day, expose the country to a bigger problem and put it under a heavier burden of local and foreign debts.

She stressed the need of educating communities in a more civilized way. She also urged girl students to play their part in disseminating information on what benefits a check on population growth could bring.