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ISLAMABAD, Jul 10 (APP):Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday called for national focus on climate change and population management, describing them as the two most critical challenges facing Pakistan’s path to sustainable development.
Speaking at a function on World Population Day, the minister said, “Our government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is undertaking structural reforms across taxation, energy, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and privatization”.
“But if we are serious about putting Pakistan on a sustainable growth path and aiming to become a $3 trillion economy by 2047, we must confront two existential issues head-on: climate change and population growth,” he added.
Aurangzeb stressed that while macroeconomic reforms are important, the demographic challenge requires immediate and coordinated intervention. He highlighted that Pakistan’s current population growth rate of 2.55% was unsustainable, warning of its impact on daily life and growth trajectory.
Citing alarming statistics from a recently presented documentary, the minister revealed that 40% of Pakistani children under the age of five are stunted—a condition with lifelong consequences on learning, earning potential, and health. “These children represent Pakistan’s future leadership. If we don’t act now, we’re mortgaging our country’s future,” he said.
Aurangzeb emphasized that addressing stunted growth and other population-related challenges required an integrated, multi-sectoral approach. “There is no single intervention that can fix this,” he said. “It requires a full-spectrum strategy—nutrition, health, education, awareness—end to end.”
On fiscal priorities, the minister pointed out that while the federal government had allocated Rs 1 trillion in development spending this year, the total public development outlay across provinces amounts to Rs 4.2 trillion. “This shows there is no shortage of funds,” Aurangzeb remarked. “What we lack is targeted allocation and the right prioritization at both federal and provincial levels.”
He also called for revisiting the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, stating that the existing resource-sharing formula needed to evolve to reflect new realities, especially those concerning population and climate-related pressures.
Highlighting global cooperation, Aurangzeb shared that Pakistan’s new 10-year Country Partnership Framework, with the World Bank allocating a significant portion of the expected $20 billion including funding to population and climate initiatives. “Four of the six priority pillars in this plan are directly focused on these two areas,” he noted. That means an annual stream of $600 to $700 million dedicated to population and climate related measures, he added.
He urged policymakers and development partners to go beyond traditional infrastructure investments and prioritize human capital development. “We have built roads and power projects, but it’s time to invest in people,” he said. “This is the only way to ensure real, inclusive, and sustainable progress.”
Aurangzeb concluded by emphasizing the need for responsible spending and high-impact execution. “As Finance Minister, I cannot afford to be complacent. It’s not just about securing funds—it’s about making sure they are deployed where they will have the greatest effect.”