National Population Council to lead unified population strategy:

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jul, 2026) Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday reaffirmed the government's commitment to addressing Pakistan's population challenge through coordinated, evidence-based and whole-of-government action, saying the country's future would depend on the quality, productivity and preparedness of its people rather than the size of its population.

In a message issued on World Population Day, observed this year under the theme "Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people, today and for the future," the minister said Pakistan's large youth population was both a national asset and a major policy responsibility.

He said Pakistan's population should be viewed as human capital to be developed rather than a burden to be managed, adding that investments in health, nutrition, education, skills development and women's empowerment would translate into greater productivity, resilience and prosperity.

Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had made progress in reducing fertility, with the total fertility rate declining from 4.1 births per woman in 2006-07 to 3.6 in 2017-18, a figure reaffirmed by the latest Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024-25.

However, he said the pace of decline remained insufficient to meet the country's development requirements.

He noted that Pakistan's population had reached 241.49 million according to the 2023 Digital Census, growing at an annual rate of 2.55 percent, and could exceed 386 million by 2050 if current trends continued, placing enormous pressure on education, healthcare, housing, employment, water resources, food security, infrastructure and public finances.

The minister said population outcomes were fundamentally linked with governance, adding that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, responsibilities related to fertility, health, education and social protection had become dispersed across different tiers of government.

He said Pakistan had not lacked population policies but rather an effective mechanism to align all stakeholders under a single national framework, describing the establishment of the National Population Council as a major governance reform.

Ahsan Iqbal said the Council, chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, brought together provincial governments, the leadership of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, key federal ministers and the military leadership to provide the country's highest-level forum on population issues.

<?php /*?> <?php */?>

He said the Council would ensure coordinated policymaking and implementation by translating demographic evidence into integrated national action instead of fragmented programmes.

The minister said population stabilisation was only the starting point for securing a demographic dividend.

He stressed that Pakistan still had an opportunity to convert its youthful population into an engine of economic growth by expanding family planning services, improving maternal and reproductive healthcare, keeping girls in school, increasing women's participation in the labour force, enhancing skills development and creating productive employment opportunities.

Warning against policy delays, he said every year of inaction narrowed the country's window for achieving a demographic dividend and increased future fiscal and social pressures.

He also underscored the importance of gender equality, saying women's education, economic participation and decision-making regarding family size were among the strongest drivers of sustainable population stabilisation and long-term development.

Referring to the government's URAAN Pakistan initiative, Ahsan Iqbal said population management remained a key priority under the Equity and Empowerment pillar, which focuses on women, children, youth, education, health and human capital development.

"Our greatest strength is our people, and our greatest responsibility is to invest in their future. Population management is not about limiting people; it is about expanding opportunity. Every child deserves quality education, good health, proper nutrition and a fair chance to realise his or her full potential," he said.

On the occasion of World Population Day, the minister called upon the federal and provincial governments, parliamentarians, development partners, civil society, academia, the private sector, media, religious scholars and local communities to support a shared national effort based on responsible parenthood, informed decision-making, women's empowerment, youth development and sustainable growth.

He expressed confidence that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and through a whole-of-state approach, Pakistan would successfully transform its demographic challenge into stronger human capital, greater prosperity and long-term national stability.