Pakistan’s rapid population growth is not a sign of national strength but one of the greatest obstacles to our economic growth. The effects of this rapid growth are visible across every sector of national life. Education systems are overcrowded and millions of children are out of school due, in part, to insufficient infrastructure. Healthcare facilities remain overburdened, unable to provide adequate services. The job market cannot absorb the growing labour force, resulting in a high rate of unemployment. Meanwhile, essential resources such as water, energy and housing are stretched thin, deepening poverty and widening inequality. Karachi and Lahore, for instance, face severe congestion, water shortage and inadequate housing directly linked to unplanned population expansion. Failure in these areas is a main cause of our economy’s struggles.
I request the government and the people to focus on this issue and find valuable solutions. Campaigns and programmes should be started to educate people about family planning and the importance of slowing population growth.
Rabeet Malik
Lahore
