Key Takeaways
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs meeting on population welfare.
- Strategy aims to reduce growth rate from 2.55% to 1.25% by 2035.
- Chinese firm FAMSUN invests in modernising grain storage infrastructure.
The federal government of Pakistan is set to unveil a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing the country’s population growth rate from its current level of 2.55% to 1.25% by 2035, according to a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday.
During the meeting, which was held in Islamabad, the prime minister highlighted the rapidly growing population as one of Pakistan’s biggest challenges and emphasized the need for measures that align with national development, economic stability, and human resource development.
The strategy will focus on healthcare, education, youth development, increased female labour force participation, vocational training, and social safety nets. The government has also directed authorities to convene a meeting of the National Population Council (NPC) at the earliest to formulate this plan.
According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting will bring together chief ministers from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as well as representatives from relevant institutions and stakeholders. The National Population Stabilisation Plan 2026-2035 is being prepared to provide a unified national framework.
The prime minister stressed the importance of enhanced coordination among provinces and effective public awareness campaigns to curb population growth. He directed federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Syed Mustafa Kamal, and Attaullah Tarar, along with senior government officials, to ensure that these measures are implemented.
In a related development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed a Chinese investment initiative aimed at modernising Pakistan’s grain storage infrastructure. The prime minister stated that stronger business-to-business partnerships between Pakistan and China would further deepen the strategic relationship between the two countries.
The delegation led by Jack Chen, CEO of Chinese agribusiness company FAMSUN, met with the prime minister to discuss the proposed project. The prime minister expressed his gratitude for the investment and directed authorities to ensure that skills development and training for Pakistan’s workforce are incorporated into the proposed projects to strengthen local capacity.
The meeting was informed that the operating procedures for the National Population Council Secretariat had been finalised, while work on aligning federal social protection programmes with population welfare objectives is ongoing. The prime minister called for a unified approach to address the challenges posed by rapid population growth.
Describing the rapidly growing population as one of the country’s biggest challenges, the prime minister said measures for population control and welfare must be treated as a national responsibility.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
The project would help introduce modern agricultural technologies and promote commercial activity.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
