|
Pakistan's Chief of Defence apparently has a new portfolio apart from protecting the cash-strapped nation- controlling its population, Dawn reported.
Measures to control the population since the last three years have apparently not borne results and Pakistan's Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal in a joint meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights revealed the proposal. The meeting was jointly chaired by Senators Amir Waliuddin Chishti and Samina Mumtaz Zehri to discuss Pakistan's growing population and the need for reforms. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Munir was a part of the meetings he had convened on population management. "The government is treating this issue with the highest priority and important policy decisions are being taken at every level," Dawn quoted Sharif as saying. Sharif said one factor contributing to high birth rates had been the limited availability of contraceptives, adding that tax exemptions had now been granted on contraceptive products. He said Pakistan records around 6.7 million births annually and estimated that wider access to family planning could reduce annual population growth by about 1.5 million people, as per Dawn. Pakistan is the fifth most populous country and is set to become fourth most populous country by surpassing Indonesia. Pakistan's annual population growth rate stands at 2.55 per cent, as per Dawn. This figure has taken a toll on vital systems of the country, be it economy or health. As per France 24, Pakistan has 258 million inhabitants. This rapid demographic growth is far outpacing the country's capacity for socio-economic development and infrastructure expansion. In several key social sectors, Pakistan continues to lag behind neighbouring India and Bangladesh. Contraception remains largely taboo in the society shaped by strong traditional values, where it is sometimes viewed as religiously forbidden, as per France 24. (ANI)
|
