Overview
- Federal leaders used World Population Day on July 11 to announce the National Population Council and to urge coordinated national action on youth empowerment, women’s and children’s health and voluntary family planning.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari highlighted that Pakistan is among the world’s most populous countries, with over 65 percent of people under 30 and an annual growth rate cited at about 2.55 percent, which they say stresses jobs, education, health and housing.
- The new council is tasked with drafting a comprehensive national strategy and improving federal‑provincial coordination, but officials have not yet published concrete budgets, measurable targets or timelines for implementation.
- Analysts and opinion writers warned that Pakistan’s long history of underfunded family‑planning programmes, low contraceptive coverage, early marriage and limited female education mean success will require sustained funding, rights‑based community outreach and religious engagement.
- If the council leads to real investment and delivery, Pakistan could convert its demographic profile into growth; the key near‑term signals to watch are provincial buy‑in, assigned budgets and clear service‑delivery plans for health, education and contraception.