By Rafiullah Mandokhail
QUETTA: Member of the provincial assembly, journalists, health officials and representatives of the non-governmental organizations have expressed serious concerns over the country’s rapidly growing population during a meeting of CCI Media Committee organized by the Pakistan Population Council at a local hotel here.
Senior Director Programs, Pakistan Population Council Dr. Ali Mir, Project Director Samia Ali Shah and Communication Officer Ikram-ul-Ahad in their welcome notes said that Pakistan has become the fifth largest country in the world with a population of 221 million, where the population is growing at a rapid rate of 2.4. He urged the meeting that urgent and concrete steps were needed to overcome and control the rapid population growth, if not it will be resulted in a severe economic crisis, including energy and water crisis, poverty and hunger in the country.
Speaking at the Stakeholdersmeeting MPA Qadir Ali Nayal, said that they were working for an effective legislation on the early marriages and also trying to expedite the work on the pending bill, he said.
Head of the gynecology department at Sandeman civil hospital Dr. Ayesha Saddiqa, Deputy Director Population Welfare Department Abdul Sattar Shahwani, representative of the Health department Dr. Zafar from UNFF, Faiz Barech from UNFA, journalists Saleem Shahid and Rafiullah Mandokhail expressing concerns said that the growing population in the country was six times more than the available resources. Due to non-provision of medical facilities, 3,000 mothers lost their lives during the childbirth every year. They said that 20% of population in the country wants family planning, but they do not have access to the proper health facilities, they lamented.
“If steps are not taken to control the population in Pakistan on an emergency basis, the country’s population will be increased two times in coming three decades,” they added.
The speakers said that the population of Balochistan has been increased rapidly as compare to other provinces and the population growth has been 4.3 which is an alarming situation.
“In Balochistan, 92% of women are confined to their homes while 8% are engaged in farming and other activities. In the provincial capital, the greenery and agriculture are rapidly disappearing replacing by constructions, moreover groundwater is also depleting rapidly, which is posing a grim picture,” the stakeholders expressed concerns.
