Pakistan Turns to Military Leadership in Bid to Curb Soaring Population Growth

ISLAMABAD: Following years of unsuccessful efforts to contain population growth, the federal government has enlisted Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to spearhead a renewed national strategy.

The revelation came from Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal during a joint session of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Thursday. The meeting, co-chaired by Senators Amir Waliuddin Chishti and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, convened to address Pakistan’s demographic trajectory and the urgent need for coordinated policy reform.

Pakistan currently ranks as the world’s fifth most populous nation and is projected to overtake Indonesia to become the fourth largest by 2030.

Briefing the committee, Minister Kamal stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had convened multiple high-level meetings on population management and formed a dedicated committee to tackle the crisis. The inclusion of Field Marshal Munir in this body, he said, underscores the gravity with which the administration views the issue. The finance and planning ministers are also members of the committee.

“The government is treating this issue with the highest priority and important policy decisions are being taken at every level,” Kamal asserted. He emphasized that effective population management demands both state action and public participation.

The minister highlighted a structural flaw in the current National Finance Commission (NFC) Award formula, under which 82 percent of resource distribution is determined by population size. He argued this mechanism inadvertently incentivizes provinces to maintain higher growth rates, as a province that successfully curbs growth sees its fiscal share decline, while those with larger populations receive greater allocations. Kamal proposed reducing the population weight in the NFC formula to 50 percent.

Addressing service delivery gaps, the minister noted that limited access to contraceptives has been a key driver of high fertility rates. He announced that tax exemptions have now been granted on contraceptive products. Pakistan records approximately 6.7 million births annually, and the ministry estimates that expanded access to family planning services could reduce annual population growth by roughly 1.5 million people.

Committee members questioned the federal government’s authority over population welfare following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which devolved the subject to the provinces. The minister confirmed the devolution, while lawmakers observed that federal directives cannot be imposed on provincial governments. Members urged legislation to check unchecked growth; however, Ministry of Law representatives clarified that parliament lacks the authority to legislate on exclusively devolved matters.

A representative of the Council of Islamic Ideology informed the meeting that there is no sectarian objection to measures addressing rapid population growth. The committee directed the Ministry of Law, religious scholars, and relevant parliamentary committees to engage in consultations to forge a consensus-based strategy. A follow-up joint meeting is expected in the coming days.

Balochistan Nursing Scholarship Probe Ordered

Senator Jan Mohammad raised serious allegations regarding a scholarship programme that sent 150 students from Balochistan to Islamabad, including 47 nursing students enrolled at the Health Services Academy. He claimed the students spent two years in the capital before discovering the promised degree programme did not exist and the diploma offered was not recognized by the Pakistan Nursing Council.

The senator noted that the World Bank had disbursed Rs36 million for the project and demanded an investigation, citing official negligence and injustice to the students of Balochistan.

In response, Minister Kamal assured the committee the matter would be resolved within a week, vowing that the government would not tolerate injustice against students from the province. The committee also summoned the directors general of health and nursing in Balochistan to explain the irregularities.

The session was attended by Senators Quratul Ain Marri, Anusha Rahman Ahmed Khan, Shahzaib Durrani, Nasir Mehmood, Poonjo Bheel, Attaul Haq, Syed Masroor Ahsan, and senior officials from relevant ministries and departments.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2026

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