Assignment

Topic :Importance of population planning in Pakistan

Submitted to Muhammad Rameez Mohsin
Submitted to Irsa Javeed
Roll no 03
Department of Social work
Islamia University Bahawalpur

Introduction

Population growth in Pakistan has shown a continued increase since the 1940s due to reduced mortality
and persistent high birth rates. The country's population grew from nearly 33 Million in 1947 to about
196.5 Million to date, an increase of almost six times since the year of independence. Continued rapid
growth in population has ranked Pakistan sixth in the world and the third biggest contributor to world
population growth.

The population explosion in Pakistan can be analyzed under social, economic, and religious causes.
Pakistan, at 3.4%, has one of the highest fertility rates in the word due to inadequate implementation of
population planning by successive governments.6This paired with a very low rate of contraceptive use
and family panning, has contributed to increasing the population in the country.

A restrictive and misunderstood role of contraceptives and child planning in the society under the guise
of religion by some religious scholars has also resulted in many women being unaware of their rights
and wellbeing. For instance Bangladesh, like Pakistan, was facing the dangers of overpopulation in the
1970s.

However, their policy makers chose to priorities the issue and designed social awareness campaigns and
programmers that communicated the risks of overpopulation. Bangladesh introduced family planning
and contraceptives through the media and physical campaigning to educate women on the importance
of fewer children for a better economy and their persona health. Pakistan is the sixth most populated
country in the world. The National Population Council says the population is expected to rise from 173
million at present to 240 million by 2030. According to the latest Pakistan Demographic and Health
survey of 2006-07, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Pakistan is 4.1 children per woman.

With a high population growth rate, Pakistan will certainly experience dramatic declines in per capita
availability of arable land, water, and forest resources. Pakistan is now at a crucial position in time which
requires strong and thorough policies to be introduced at individual and national level. Individually the
public, both adults and youth, need to be educated on the drawbacks of overpopulation and the
importance of the use of contraceptives and family planning.
By keeping in view aforementioned crises, The Population Policy of Pakistan was launched in July 2002
with the vision to achieve population stabilization by 2020 through the expeditious completion of the
demographic transition that entails a decline both in fertility and mortality rates.

The Population Policy of Pakistan was launched in July 2002 with the vision to achieve population
stabilization by 2020 through the expeditious completion of the demographic transition that entails a
decline both in fertility and mortality rates.

It was designed to achieve social and economic revival by curbing rapid population growth and thereby
reducing its adverse consequences for development. It intended to achieve a reduction in dependency
ratios, to alleviate pressures on dwindling resources and to help in the reduction of poverty.

the major characteristics of the population of Pakistan may be summed up as follows: High birth rate
and declining death rate. Regular high ratio of natural increase in population.Labour force is smaller
than the size of population. Ratio of dependents, on the whole, is greater. The process of urbanization is
going on at a rapid pace. Marriage is universal which, on the whole, is not influenced by economic
considerations. Family is usually unplanned.

Majority of our people are living at subsistence level and our national per capita income is one of the
lowest in the world.Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. More than 30lakh
refugees from Afghanistan have taken shelter in Pakistan.

Need for Population Control:

“As in the words of Fifth Five Year Plan: “The reduction in population growth rate will, therefore, serve
the twin objectives of increasing nation’s capacity to save and invest and improving the per capita
availability of goods and social services.”

The control of population in Pakistan is a delicate issue in view of her social, cultural and economic
conditions. It requires careful planning, determined efforts and above all education of the masses in
general and of political, religious and community leaders in particular, with a view to removing their
misconceptions about family planning.

The idea of family limitation implies the consciousness on the part of the couple of the number of
children desired by them and of the amount of resources necessary for their grow th.

“The fertility transition is not a function of reducing birth rate by mean of structural or operational
standards, it is about changing the mind-set mired into the cultural, religious and traditional norms of
the country.”

The goal is to reduce birth rates by tackling social issues. If programs can help reduce infant
mortality and AIDS, the government feels that families will not feel the need to have as many
children. Education is also crucial for survival, so the government has programs for improving
child education.