ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed on the need to control the population saying that it is necessary to strike a balance between population growth and resources required for sustainable development.In his message on World Population Day, the President said that the fast pace of population growth should make us pause and reflect on its impact on the available resources and infrastructure and if the population continues to grow at the current rate, it will not be too long when our resources will just not be able to support the people.He said population growth rate is also wake up call for us to plan our strategy for health, education and other facilities to our next generation.President Zardari said growing population is another factor for Pakistan to be lagging behind most countries of the region in the areas of literacy and primary education.He said it has also contributed to unplanned urbanisation and strained the capacity to provide shelter to all.He said the state of affairs demands a review of our development priorities and re-examination of our strategies.
To overcome the negative impact of population growth, the President suggested the provincial governments to entrust with complete responsibilities under 18th Amendment to do planning to meet the challenges and issues of exploding population.He urged all stake holders including civil society, NGOs, provincial governments and individuals to put the country on the path of progress and prosperity through coordinated efforts in meting out challenges of population growth. – Nation
