Overpopulation is a global crisis and Pakistan is among the most overpopulated country in the world.
However, Pakistani politicians and policymakers tend to ignore this issue and focus instead on terrorism, militancy, corruption, inflation, poverty, and illiteracy.
Population concerns deserve greater attention, as this is a major social problem for Pakistan, and is consequently creating new social evils. When the population exceeds the limit of available resources it can become a burden on the state and economy.
Pakistan is the 6th most populous country in the world. The rate of population increase is 1.2 percent a year, which means the population will double in 58 years. Pakistan has one of the highest birth rates which presents many challenges for the country. The country faces many crises, but the policies to solve them are not sufficient, as things in Pakistan are very unbalanced in every sector.
Nonetheless, the fact that 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas and 30 percent in urban is an issue to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, it is said that the middle class is the bridge between lower and upper classes. If this bridge is destroyed, citizens find illegal ways to try and elevate their status. In Pakistan, the lower class is getting poorer and the upper class is getting richer every day, which fosters resentment and hatred among the lower class.
Elitism in Pakistan has peaked
Some Pakistanis are very rich while others are very poor. This is, however, not prejudice against the people of Pakistan, but a discrimination of the entire nation because 70 percent living in rural areas are ignored. Ignoring more than two-thirds of the population means destroying the country itself, and hence the literacy rate of Pakistan is regarded to be 57 percent – the lowest in South Asia.
Pakistan is an Islamic state and there is no rule for birth control. Many find it an insult against Islam and family planning programs in most regions are ignored. Sometimes the staff of family planning programs is attacked.
The concept of large family in Pakistan is very common and has become part of the culture. Many Pakistanis consider large families a blessing and do not bother to think if they are able to adequately feed and support the children. Tribal and conservative attitudes also contribute to this mentality: Females are not viewed as equal to men and in many families are prevented from working or studying outside of their homes. If a woman gets ill, her husband or male relative must take a day off to escort her to the hospital.
In addition, some Pakistanis marry very early and are polygamous, a practice claimed to poorly affect the standard of living. The Pakistani education system is very poor and the government seems unwilling or unable to make effective changes. Moreover, poverty, inflation, illiteracy, social unrest, and criminality are the cases in point that are created by overpopulation. Therefore, the government of Pakistan needs to devote not only adequate time and attention to these issues but to implement real change and reform to solve the overpopulation crisis.
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Kabeer Shabeer Baloch is a graduate from Karachi University in Political Science.
