Tackling Pakistan’s population explosion: A pathway to socio-economic stability
PESHAWAR (APP): As Pakistan’s population surges to a staggering 241 million early this year, the pressures on its socio-economic fabric have become increasingly evident in all provinces, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where 2.5 million housing units are required for the underprivileged.
This demographic boom, which has escalated from just 33 million population in 1950, is now positioning the country as the fifth most populous in the world, trailing only China, India, USA, and Indonesia, bringing socioeconomic services including education, agriculture, housing and hospitals under mounting pressure.
“The findings from the 6th Population and Housing Census conducted in 2017 are alarming. The national census recorded a growth rate of 2.4% since 1998, highlighting an urgent need for comprehensive strategies at national and provincial level to address the burgeoning health, education and housing problems in KP,” said Prof Dr Zilakat Malik, former Chairman, Economics Department, University of Peshawar while talking to APP.
“Currently, there is a reported shortfall of 10 million housing units across the country including 2.5 million in KP, a number that could double by 2030 if population growth persists unchecked.”
He claimed that the demand for new housing units was growing at a rate of 600,000 per year and that 1.1 million housing units annually are needed keeping in view of the rapid population growth.
Dr Zilakat said the rural-urban migration trend further complicated the issue, with around 63.6% of the population still residing in rural areas, despite a noticeable increase in urban dwellers from 32.52% in 1998 to 36.4% in 2017.
This shift has placed an additional strain on urban infrastructure and services especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In KP alone, he said the population has crossed 30 million million mark, with an annual growth rate of 2.89%, which should be a matter of great concern.
He maintained that the increasing influx of individuals from less-developed regions is exacerbating housing shortages in urban centers like Peshawar.
Ikhtair Wali Khan, PMLN KP spokesman said that PTI Government has failed to construct 5 million houses in the country announced by PTI founder.
He accused PTI Government for outsourcing public sector schools that was tantamount to depriving thousands of poor students of education.
PMLN leader claimed that Provincial Ministers and advisers in KP recently accused each other of being corrupt and commission agents. Alaike, he said that about 25 public sector universities were operating without Vice Chancellors adversally affecting education and research works.
Experts argued that controlling population growth is vital for addressing wider socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and corruption.
Dr. Malik emphasized that a failure to implement effective family planning and population welfare programs has negatively impacted education and health delivery, agricultural productivity, and overall economic growth.
“The rapid increase in population is a barrier to achieving quality education and health services besides autorkey in food in the wake of climate change induced weather patterns,” he maintained.
Without addressing the monster issue of overpopulation, we cannot hope to tackle unemployment, illiteracy or poverty, he said, adding the current landscape of shortage of housing in Peshawar illustrated these challenges vividly.
Aside from a few housing projects like Hayatabad Township and Regi Model Town, there has been little progress in public housing initiatives in KP, resulting in skyrocketing property prices and rent in major cities of tye province affecting common man.
Residents like Nasir Khan, who have spent millions on housing over two decades, feel the weight of these challenges daily. “I have paid about Rs5 million in house rent with no end in sight in KP” he lamented.
Addressing these intertwined issues in KP required a multifaceted approach and viable policies of the government.
Experts suggested that Pakistan must learn from successful housing projects in countries like China, launching small residential developments in urban areas to provide affordable housing to poor coupled with robust family planning initiatives, which could help reduce the current population growth rate significantly besides reduce property cost.
Ultimately, the solution to Pakistan’s pressing issues lies in a collective effort by all stakeholders to control population explosion.
By doing so, the country can pave the way for sustainable economic growth, ensure food security, enhanced living standards, and a brighter future for its citizens. As the country especially KP stands at this crossroads, the urgency for action has never been more critical.
