The population time bomb in Pakistan, which has been ticking for a long time, is now close to exploding, but no policymaker, administration or public is seriously considering limiting it in possible sustainable ways. While the population rate has declined drastically in other developing countries, it has increased manifold in Pakistan. According to the latest census results, Pakistan has advanced in the population ranking and has become the fifth most populous country in the world after India, China, the United States and Indonesia. This is a worrying situation considering the poverty in the country. If the increasing population and climate change are not taken seriously, they will pose very serious consequences.

While in power, claims have been made of moving towards economic development, but no serious steps have been taken to control the population. Due to this, Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has finally had to say that the unprecedented increase in population and the negative impact of climate change are going to become the biggest threats to the country. According to the Federal Finance Minister, sustainable development is not possible with an annual population growth of 2.55 per cent. Pakistan’s population has now exceeded 241 million and 1.5 million young people are entering the labour force annually. A growth rate of 2.55 per cent is considered an extraordinary challenge for the country’s economic and development goals. If the........

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