Next SC campaign to tackle population control, says CJP

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday revealed that the next campaign the Supreme Court would support would be centred around population control.

Speaking to Geo News following a fundraising event in Birmingham for the construction of dams here, Justice Nisar said that he is planning to spearhead a drive spreading awareness about population control.

“A task force for family planning under Health Secretary Captain (retd) Zahid Saeed was already created and has come up with a report on the matter,” he said.

“There will be a conference regarding this in the Supreme Court… on December 12 or 13, and the prime minister and I will also be part of the conference.”

“Your [country’s] resources are shrinking and that will continue to eventually create disparity and saturation [of resources],” the CJP said. “This is one of the most fundamental issues of the country and it needs to be combated.”

According to the 2017 census, which was held after a gap of 19 years, the country’s population has been counted at 207,774,520 living in 32,205,111 households. Top government officials have decided to reduce the population growth rate of 2.4 per cent per annum to 1.5pc.

The Centre and the provinces last Monday decided to form task forces within their jurisdictions to control rapid population growth.

The task forces will consider recommendations made by a task force constituted earlier on SC orders, and will submit a comprehensive action plan to the Council of Common Interests, taking into account the future implementation strategy of the action plan, the financial aspects and other issues relating to garnering support of all segments of society for the success of a comprehensive population control programme.

Justice Nisar, while speaking about the fundraiser, said that the response for his call to funds had been overwhelming.

“When an eight-year-old child and and 84-year-old woman both have contributed [to the fund] then who else is left? The whole country has come together to make this fundraising a successful movement.”

Source: The Dawn