Unchecked population growth is a major economic, social challenge, says Murad Shah

He was addresses a programme, *Waqfa – Tawazun Ke Liye*, organised by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Foundation (MKRF) and Population Council Pakistan to launch a social and behavioural change campaign on family planning, at the Hindu Gymkhana, NAPA Auditorium.

on Friday. The programme was also addressed by MPA Nida Khuhro, Country Director Population Council Pakistan Dr Zeba Sathar, UK Deputy High Commissioner Lance Domm, and MKRF Managing Director Shahrukh Hasan.

The chief minister recalled that Pakistan underwent a historic turning point in 1971, when the country was divided. He said that at the time, Pakistan’s population was around 62 million, Bangladesh had about 70 million people, and India’s population was slightly below 550 million.

Highlighting the demographic shift over the last 54 years, CM Murad Ali Shah said that today India’s population has reached 1.48 billion, Bangladesh stands at 177 million, while Pakistan’s population has surged to 259 million.

Mr Shah explained that population growth patterns reveal stark contrasts. “India’s population grew by 2.7 times, Bangladesh’s by about two and a half times, while Pakistan’s population grew by 4.2 times,” he noted.

The CM further said that while India and Bangladesh maintained a population growth ratio close to 1.8 per cent, India still managed to keep its growth rate 1.7 per cent lower than Pakistan’s, underscoring the effectiveness of long-term population management policies.

The chief minister observed that had Pakistan followed a population growth trajectory similar to Bangladesh since 1971, the country’s population today would have been around 155 million - nearly 100 million less than its current size. “We must ask ourselves what went wrong and why we failed to acknowledge our mistakes in time,” he remarked.

Calling population growth a deep-rooted social issue with far-reaching economic consequences, the chief minister recalled that in the 1970s, public awareness campaigns such as “Small family, prosperous family” were regularly aired on television. “At that time, there was only PTV, and we grew up hearing these messages,” he said.

However, he lamented that during the martial law period, population control lost priority and family planning campaigns gradually disappeared from public discourse. “Other countries took timely measures, knowing population growth would eventually become an economic burden, but unfortunately, we did not,” he added.

Murad Shah said that during General Zia-ul-Haq’s era, family planning was sidelined, though discussions resumed after the restoration of democratic governments and NGOs began playing their role. “Despite these efforts, the impact was still far less than what was required,” he observed.

Highlighting successful initiatives, the chief minister credited Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s Lady Health Workers Programme for creating meaningful awareness by taking family planning messages door to door. “This programme has benefitted communities immensely, yet even today, when compared with other countries, we remain far behind,” he admitted.

CM Murad Ali Shah rejected the notion that family planning is a religious issue. “This has been unnecessarily turned into a religious debate, whereas in reality it is not,” he said.

The CM cited international comparisons, stating that over the last decade, Saudi Arabia’s population growth remained at 1.22 per cent, Iran’s at 0.5 per cent, Iraq’s at 0.54 per cent, and Turkey’s at just 0.12 per cent. He also noted that the United States, with a population of around 310–315 million, has managed its demographic growth despite vast economic demands.

Referring to Pakistan’s geography, the chief minister pointed out that the country’s land area is approximately 800,000 square kilometres, yet it has failed to develop a sustainable population management programme.

The ceremony also marked the launch of Pakistan’s largest and most comprehensive Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) campaign on family planning, initiated jointly by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Foundation (MKRF) and Population Council Pakistan. The chief minister expressed hope that such initiatives would help steer the country toward informed decision-making and long-term socio-economic stability.

Murad Ali Shah highlighted the critical challenges of population growth and polio eradication in Pakistan, stressing the need for sustained national consensus and collective effort to address both issues.

Recalling historical trends, the Chief Minister said that at the time of Pakistan’s creation, a woman on average gave birth to seven children, a situation similar to that of Bangladesh. “Today, Pakistan’s fertility rate stands at around 3.5 to 3.6, while Bangladesh has successfully brought it down to nearly two,” he noted.

Mr Shah pointed out that Pakistan’s contraceptive prevalence rate is about 34 percent, compared to 62 percent in Bangladesh. “Bangladesh declared population control as an issue of national survival, whereas in Pakistan we continued to view it largely as a social issue,” he said.

The Chief Minister emphasized that Bangladesh formulated population policies through national consensus, while in Pakistan policies kept changing repeatedly. He said prolonged periods of martial law severely damaged these policies, and even discussing population control began to be seen as taboo.

Highlighting past initiatives, CM Murad Ali Shah said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto launched the Lady Health Workers Programme in the 1990s, recruiting women workers at the grassroots level. “Her message was clear. She also engaged religious scholars in the programme,” he added.

He stressed the importance of women empowerment and better education for women, noting that restrictions on child marriage were now being unnecessarily turned into controversies. “We are far behind, but time has not yet slipped out of our hands. However, to control this issue, we now need to work 15 to 20 times harder than before,” he said.

The Chief Minister acknowledged the role of the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Foundation and said that young Geo network workers, the Population Planning Department, federal and provincial governments, and the Population Council must work together, while strengthening communication efforts.

Turning to another serious concern, CM Murad Ali Shah said polio remains a major challenge, with Pakistan and Afghanistan being the only two countries still affected. He urged the public to fully support the anti-polio campaign scheduled from February 2 to February 8.

Mr Shah recalled that during the previous campaign, he had written letters to media owners requesting them to air 15-second polio awareness messages before every news bulletin. “I will write to them again,” he said, appealing to media owners to help protect the future of the country’s children.

“I request that at least the first 10 seconds of every news bulletin be dedicated to the future of our children,” he said, urging parents to ensure that their children are administered polio drops to protect them from this deadly disease.

The Chief Minister underscored the powerful role of media in shaping public opinion and called upon media organizations to guide people towards positive and welfare-oriented causes. “I request you to play your role in eradicating polio. This campaign will benefit not only Geo but the entire country,” he concluded.