ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s total population will likely surge past 330 million by 2050, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said, as she stressed need to control growth rate.

“Soon, national emergency plan will be unveiled to deal with the growing population,” she said during her address to ceremony held to mark 70th anniversary of the establishment of Population Council.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned national action task force meeting next week in this regard and provinces have also been given representation in it, she said. Providing predictions of population growth in years to come, federal minister said populace is expected to hit 260.3 million in 2030 and 330.8 million by 2050. She said as world’s total population hit 8 billion during ongoing year, Pakistan’s populace reached 230 million. “In 75 years, Pakistan’s population has reached from 30 million to 230 million.” Pakistan’s population, she said, is growing at 2 percent annually and it is essential for government to deal with challenges related to it. She said there is need for a national narrative on issue.

“If we want national narrative, then all stakeholders will need to be consulted. Issue should be discussed openly on government platforms.” “Increasing population is as alarming as destruction caused by climate change,” she added. World population surged past 8 billion people earlier this month, UN said, warning that more hardship is in store for regions already facing resource scarcity due to climate change.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 02 2022

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