ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday called for a review of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to incentivise provinces to stabilise population growth, arguing that the existing formula, under which population an 82 per cent weight in resource distribution, should also reward improvements in human development and family planning.
Speaking at the national ceremony marking the World Population Day 2026, Aurangzeb described rapid population growth and climate change as Pakistan’s two biggest existential challenges, warning that sustainable economic growth and long-term national development would remain impossible without addressing both.
He said an estimated US$600-700 million was available for population-related initiatives and stressed that demographic considerations must become an integral part of Pakistan’s fiscal and development planning.
The finance minister said the government, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, was preparing a 10-year National Population Stabilisation Programme to integrate population dynamics into economic planning. Greater investment in health, education, skills development and employment, he said, was essential to transform Pakistan’s growing population into a demographic dividend rather than a demographic burden.
Aurangzeb also praised the Waqfa Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Campaign, launched by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Foundation (MKRF) and the Jang-Geo Media Group, describing it as a timely national initiative and assuring the campaign of the government’s full support in promoting healthy birth spacing and responsible parenthood.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said Pakistan’s population of around 241 million, growing at 2.55 per cent annually, had become an issue of national security, economic stability and sustainable development, placing enormous pressure on healthcare, education, employment, food security, infrastructure and national resources.
Highlighting the human cost of rapid population growth, the minister said nearly 11,000 women die each year from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications, while around 400,000 children die annually from preventable causes. He said Pakistan’s fertility rate of about 3.6 children per woman, considerably higher than that of many neighbouring countries, underscored the urgent need to expand voluntary family planning services, improve maternal healthcare and promote healthy birth spacing.
The health minister also welcomed the federal government’s decision to exempt contraceptives and menstrual hygiene products from taxes, saying the move would improve access to essential health commodities and support national efforts to stabilise population growth.
Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani said Pakistan’s future depended on investing in its young population, emphasising that effective population management required coordinated action in health, education, employment, food security and sustainable development. He said parliament would continue providing legislative support for population stabilisation while promoting girls’ education, youth empowerment, family planning and responsible parenthood.
A key feature of the event was the presentation of the impact assessment of the Waqfa campaign by Shahrukh Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Foundation. Describing Waqfa as an editorial public awareness campaign rather than an advertising initiative, he said it was designed to promote informed public discussion on healthy birth spacing and the health, social and economic consequences of rapid population growth.
Presenting the findings of an independent evaluation, Hasan said 84 per cent of respondents considered the campaign credible and trustworthy, 80 per cent rated it effective, 80 per cent wanted the campaign to continue, 83 per cent said it had influenced their thinking, while 72 per cent agreed it presented family planning in accordance with Islamic teachings. He said one of the campaign’s biggest achievements was building public recognition comparable to family planning programmes developed over several decades.
Shahrukh Hasan said the campaign sought to dispel myths and misconceptions about family planning through evidence-based communication, religious guidance, media engagement and community outreach involving religious scholars, educators, policymakers and civil society. He described unchecked population growth as an existential challenge for Pakistan and praised Mustafa Kamal for championing the national population stabilisation agenda.
Secretary Health Muhammad Aslam Ghauri called for a coordinated national response to Pakistan’s rapidly growing population, saying investment in young people’s education, healthcare, skills development and employment was essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan, reaffirmed the agency’s support for Pakistan’s reproductive health, family planning and youth empowerment programmes, while Henritta Hamilton, Acting Development Director of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), reiterated Britain’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s reproductive health and social behaviour change initiatives.
Religious scholar Allama Muhammad Hassan Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, said Islam encouraged responsible parenthood and healthy birth spacing to safeguard the health and well-being of mothers and children.
The World Population Day event, jointly organised by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, UNFPA and development partners under the theme, “Realising the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future,” also featured a documentary highlighting the impact of rapid population growth and the government’s efforts to implement a national population stabilisation roadmap.
