- Army Chief Asim Munir joins population control committee.
- Pakistan government seeks solutions for rapid population growth.
- Opposition criticizes military involvement in civilian policy.
Pakistan has added Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to a high-level committee tasked with tackling one of the country’s biggest challenges, which is its rapidly growing population. The move comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government is looking for new solutions to control population growth.
Asim Munir Joins Population Panel
Pakistan's Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal on Thursday announced that Munir has become a member of a committee that will suggest policy reforms to slow the country's population growth. According to the Dawn report, the decision was taken during a joint meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. The committee, formed by Sharif, will recommend ways to improve coordination between the federal and provincial governments on population-related policies.
Why Is Pakistan Concerned?
Pakistan is the world's fifth-most populous country and has an annual population growth rate of 2.55 per cent. The country records nearly 6.7 million births every year. According to demographic projections, Pakistan can become the world's fourth-most populous nation by 2030. Officials have described rapid population growth as a serious challenge. Last year, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that around 80 per cent of Pakistan's population is under the age of 40, while 66 per cent is below 30, calling the trend "alarming."
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What All Measures Have Been Considered
During the meeting, officials discussed several measures to slow population growth. These included improving access to family planning services and contraceptives. The government has already removed taxes on contraceptives to encourage their use. Officials said effective family planning could reduce annual population growth by around 1.5 million people. The committee also stressed the need for better coordination between the federal and provincial governments, greater political consensus, discussions with religious scholars, and possible new laws.
Opposition Criticises The Move
Meanwhile, the decision to include Munir in the committee has drawn criticism from sections of Pakistan's opposition. They have argued that population policy is a civilian matter and involving the army chief reflects the government's inability to handle the issue.
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