Rising population is a big threat to Pakistan: Mujtaba Shuja

Lahore:  Minister for Finance, Excise & Taxation Punjab, Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that rising population was increasing unemployment which resulted in poor law and order situation and other socio-economic complications.

The key to solve all these problems is to control the critical issue of population as the current crises cannot be solved without reduction in population growth and the people needed to be educated so that they could develop appropriate awareness of the gravity of the big population issue had, he added. He said that the world’s population would be doubled in 2050 and Pakistan’s population would be doubled in 2024.

He said that government has focused on the health of infants and mothers and for this purpose Rs. 2 billion has been provided in the budget and integrated Reproductive Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition Programme is shortly launched in all district of the province whereas, Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Authority is being established for which legislation is underway.

While talking to various delegations, Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that population growth rate in the developing countries is 3 to 7 percent whereas, it is 0.5 percent in Japan, 0.3 percent in Germany, 0.1 percent in England and 1 percent in the United States. He said that it is the dire need for creating awareness among people regarding the rapidly increasing population as the increased population can only increase problems for the nation. He said that with view to increase accessibility of quality reproductive health services including family planning and to enhance understanding of adverse consequences of rapid population growth, a project in collaboration with UNFPA has been launched. He said that without providing quality healthcare and educational facilities to the masses at grass root level the rapid growth in population cannot be controlled, therefore, the government has prioritized these two departments at its agenda.

He said Punjab government will spend Rs. 102 billion for the provision of standardized healthcare facilities to the masses. The reformatory initiatives are being introduced in education, health and other social sectors which resulted in to provide relief to the masses and improvement in their standard of living and the present government is keen to uplift the rural development, however, these objectives cannot be achieved unless we do not control rapid growth in population beyond our resource, he concluded.