PM Forms National Population Council to Tackle Population Growth
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday constituted the National Population Council, marking a fresh federal push to address Pakistan’s rapidly growing population through a coordinated national strategy. The council has been set up in Islamabad to guide policy decisions, monitor progress and bring federal and provincial authorities onto a shared platform.
According to the government notification cited in the report, the prime minister will personally chair the council. Its membership includes the chief ministers of all four provinces, the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, reflecting the importance being attached to population management at the highest policy level.
Several key federal ministries will also be represented in the council, including Planning, Finance, Education, Law, Information, Religious Affairs and National Health Services. The inclusion of these ministries shows that the government intends to treat population growth not only as a health or welfare issue, but as a national development challenge connected to education, employment, financing, public messaging and social services.
The council has been tasked with setting Pakistan’s broad policy direction on population matters and building consensus around population stabilisation. It will review progress against national and provincial indicators, oversee the National Population Stabilisation Programme and assess whether agreed strategies are being implemented across different tiers of government.
Officials said the forum will also work to remove barriers that slow down implementation, including problems linked to financing, data quality, supply chains and human resources. This is significant because many population-related programmes in Pakistan have historically suffered from weak coordination between federal departments, provincial authorities and local service providers.
The council’s mandate further includes integrating population objectives into health, education, social protection, economic planning and development policy. It will also promote engagement with religious scholars, civil society, private-sector actors and development partners to build wider public awareness and reduce resistance to family planning and population welfare initiatives.
Pakistan’s population challenge has become one of the country’s most pressing long-term governance issues. A high growth rate places pressure on schools, hospitals, jobs, housing, water, food security and public finances, while also making it harder for governments to deliver basic services at the pace required by a young and expanding population.
Previous governments have announced awareness campaigns and family planning initiatives, but results have often remained uneven because of social barriers, limited access to services, fragmented policymaking and weak follow-through. The new council appears designed to create a stronger central mechanism that can push provinces and federal institutions toward measurable targets.
The impact of the decision could be far-reaching if the council converts its mandate into practical reforms. Better population planning can support economic stability, improve maternal and child health, expand education access and help Pakistan manage future resource demands more effectively.
The council will meet twice a year, or more frequently if called by the prime minister. Its real test will come in the coming months, when ministries and provinces are expected to translate the new structure into funded programmes, reliable data systems and public-facing policies that can slow unsustainable population growth.