Mustafa Kamal Warns of Resource Crash If Population Is Not Controlled

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has stressed the urgent need to control the country’s population growth, noting that complications related to high birth rates claim the lives of nearly 11,000 mothers annually. He also proposed sweeping measures to defuse what he called an “ever-increasing population bomb,” ARY News reported.

Addressing the National Assembly today, the Minister pointed out that Pakistan’s regional neighbors—including Iran, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka—have successfully halted their population surges. In contrast, Pakistan is facing severe developmental crises, with as many as 40 percent of its children suffering from stunted growth.

To address the root cause, Kamal recommended a gradual overhaul of the National Finance Commission (NFC) formula, which currently allocates 82 percent of provincial funds based on population size. He proposed initially reducing this population weight to 50 percent and introducing a 32 percent “reverse incentive”—meaning provinces that successfully work to reduce their population growth will receive greater financial support.

Elaborating on regional economic models, he noted that India’s financial allocation formula assigns only a 15 to 17 percent weight to population size, prioritizing factors like income generation, revenue collection, and regional backwardness instead.

The Minister lauded the federal government’s commendable move to eliminate the 18 percent General Sales Tax (GST) on contraceptive products. He expressed optimism that making these products tax-free could help reduce the country’s projected population expansion by up to 1.5 million people.

Kamal emphasized that the state’s next critical responsibility is public awareness. He revealed that the government, in collaboration with a private media group, has launched a nationwide campaign under the slogan “Waqfa” (Interval/Spacing), which is expected to yield positive results soon.

Warning of a bleak future if growth remains unchecked, the Minister cautioned that Pakistan would otherwise soon require an additional 66,000 schools, 680,000 teachers, 65 million jobs, 3,900 primary hospitals, 165,000 hospital beds, and 20 million new houses—demands the country simply cannot afford amid its current scarcity of funds.