ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday asked the provinces to create their own population ministries

Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad to mark 70th anniversary of establishment of Population Council, Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the federal government will soon unveil a national emergency plan to control the population explosion.

She stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the National Task Force next week and provinces will be represented in the meeting. The Information Minister then noted that the world’s population has reached 8 billion this year, of which 230 million is Pakistan’s population, and that in 75 years, the country’s population had grown from 40 to 230 million.

According to her, Pakistan would have a population of 263 million in 2030 and 338 million in 2050, making it the world’s fifth-largest country in terms of population. She went on to highlight the concerns brought on by emerging population, emphasizing how issues with public services, such as education and health, also become more prevalent as population grows.

Following the 18th Amendment, the issues like education, health and public services are the responsibility of the provinces, she continued. “There is a need to create a national narrative on these issues of national importance and all stakeholders should be involved in the formulation of the narrative,” said the Information Minister.

She continued by saying that there should be an open discussion on such issues at the government level and that everyone must participate. She also mentioned the recent natural disaster like the flood that wreaked havoc in Pakistan, stating that children and women were significantly affected by the devastating floods.

She added that the goals were clearly defined in the declaration adopted by the National Conference held in the Parliament in the past, and the declaration of the conference is also signed by the provinces. In order to attain the desired goals through policymaking, legislation, and narrative formulation, she said, “These goals and recommended measures need to be revised.”

In the end, the Information Minister applauded the planning department, stating that it has done a great job in the past and played a key role in regard to give awareness to the general public of the issue. The Information Minister also assured all possible support to the Population Council in creating awareness on digital media and creating a narrative regarding the growing population.