Mohammed Asif Javed a citizen of Pakistan killed himself by self-immolation in the premises of the Lahore High Court.
He happened to be just one of many who ended their existence in this land of the pure home to over 250 mil-lion people and counting.The learned judges of the superior courts should take a notice of the tragic happenings in the country where our youth are now trying to end their life by suicide instead of working for a better future but perhaps now living has become very difficult for our youth and dying appears to be the easy way out.
The huge mountain of problems confronting our youth today is undoubtedly intimidating and frightening ranging from unemployment, pov-erty to lack of opportunities and loss of hope.
At the very top of the list of national problems and worries is the ticking time bomb of over population that is now threatening the very existence of the country. Pakistan is now counted among the top five most populous countries, with a staggering population of 250 million people and counting.The repercussions are hitting hard, straining vital resources, crippling the economy, and overwhelming social infrastructure. Population growth has always been a cen-tral point of concern for many. While many believe that the high population is an asset for Pakistan, unfortunately this is a far stretch from reality. Today, in the 21st century, Pakistan and a handful of its neighbors are the core states un-der risk of the fallouts of overpopulation. Amongst these are climate change, food scarcity, and insufficient energy and resources.
At the time of its independence, Pakistan had a population of 31 million. However, by the year 1995 the number had risen at a staggering speed and reached 140 million. Presently, Pakistan has a population size of 225,199,929 with a growth rate of 1.9%.2 The United Nations has predicted that at this rate Pakistan will hit the 380 million marker by 2050. More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.Over population leads to water scarcity, as the demand for this vital resource ex-ceeds its sustainable supply. Water stress effects agriculture, industry and households, leading to social and economic unrest all over the country. Similarly meeting the growing demand for food becomes an increasingly challenging task.
Bangladesh as East Pakistan had 56% population of Pakistan while its land area was only 15% of the entire land of united Pakistan and was host to 65 million people. They faced the problem with courage and determination and today Pakistan could learn from Bangladesh and try the same successful methods. Bangladesh, which shares a similar cul-tural and historical background with Pakistan, has managed to curb its population growth significantly.
Bangladesh faced a population crisis in the 1970s, with a high fertility rate and a rapidly growing population. The government recognized the need for immediate action and implemented various policies and programs to address the issue. One of the landmark initiatives, launched in 1976, was the National Family Planning Program me. This pro-gram me aimed to provide accessible and affordable family planning services to couples across the country.
Through this initiative, Bangladesh emphasized the importance of family planning, educated the population about contraceptive methods, and made contraceptives readily available. Additionally, the government partnered with non-governmental organizations and community-based groups to create awareness and deliver family planning services effectivelyBangladesh’s efforts in population control have given rise to remarkable results. From a fertility rate of around 6.3 in the 1970s, the country has successfully reduced it to 2.1, as of the latest available data. This achieve-ment is considered a significant milestone, as a fertility rate of 2.1 is considered the replacement level, where the population size stabilizes.
To achieve such success, Bangladesh focused on empowering women and enhancing their access to education and healthcare, leading to an increase in women’s participation in the workforce. Educated and empowered women are more likely to make informed decisions regarding family planning, leading to reduced birth rates. Moreover, Bangla-desh’s efforts in improving healthcare and reducing child mortality also contributed to population control. When fami-lies have confidence in the survival of their children, they tend to have fewer children.
In Pakistan all the governments have failed miserably to provide an effective population control program. There are many reasons for the population explosion but one of the most important and sensitive issue is the staunch religious belief of the people and the influence of the maulvis particularly in the rural areas. In Pakistan, religious beliefs and practices play a significant role in influencing population growth. As a country where religion holds im-mense significance in the lives of its people, certain interpretations of religious teachings may encourage larger families. Some religious beliefs emphasize the importance of procreation and view children as a blessing and a source of divine favor. Consequently, these interpretations may contribute to a cultural preference for larger family sizes within religious communities.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad.
Email: tariq.aqil@headstart.edu.pk
