NA passes resolution to curb population growth

ISLAMABAD, Aug 13 (APP): The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution calling for urgent and comprehensive measures to bring down Pakistan’s population growth rate to sustainable levels, aligning it with the country’s renewable and non-renewable resources.
The resolution was moved by central leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Syed Naveed Qamar in the House.
Recognizing the grave implications of the alarmingly high rate of population growth revealed in the 2023 Population and Housing Census, the House acknowledged its adverse impact on the state’s ability to improve citizens’ welfare, particularly in providing fundamental rights such as education, healthcare, employment, housing, and shelter.
It was noted that the current high growth rate has already placed immense pressure on natural resources, undermining sustainable development, widening inequalities, and exacerbating the challenges of the climate crisis.
The resolution reaffirmed that every individual and couple has the right to freely and responsibly decide the number and spacing of their children, provided they are informed and supported to ensure their family size balances available resources and a dignified standard of living.
It further stated that lowering population growth is essential for achieving national development objectives, investing in human capital and ensuring equitable access to opportunities for all.
The House resolved that the federal government, in full coordination with provincial leadership, will expand access to reproductive health information and services, make them more affordable for low-income populations through social protection programmes, and improve the quality of existing services, particularly in the underserved rural areas.