The finance minister was spot on when he highlighted the threat posed by Pakistan’s rapidly growing population earlier this week. However, the truth of the matter is that population control is primarily the government’s responsibility. In this regard, successive administrations have failed miserably, mostly under the pressure of our religious right. In Bangladesh, religious leaders played an important role in the campaign for controlling population growth, according to some analyses. Unless we can successfully control our galloping population, all our efforts at growth and development will come to naught.
Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad
