Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered on Tuesday that the organisational structure of the Council be finalised promptly for effective policy-making.
An important meeting on population welfare was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of PM Shehbaz. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also attended the meeting, along with federal ministers and senior officials.
The meeting was briefed on the growing population of the country and ongoing measures for its control and welfare. It was stated that rapid population growth is placing increased pressure on national resources and has emerged as a major challenge for development.
اسلام آباد: 30 جون، 2026
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) June 30, 2026
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیرِ صدارت بہبود آبادی کے حوالے سے اہم اجلاس آج اسلام آباد میں منعقد ہوا.
اجلاس سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے وزیرِ اعظم نے کہا کہ وسائل اور آبادی میں توازن ہی پائیدار ترقی کی ضمانت ہے. تیزی سے بڑھتی آبادی سے قومی وسائل پر دباؤ بڑھ رہا… pic.twitter.com/lVaAo76ddy
PM Shehbaz stated that balance between resources and population is essential for sustainable development. He said population planning must be aligned with national development, economic stability, and improvement in human resources.
He directed that the inaugural meeting of the National Population Council be convened at the earliest.
Population policy linked with social protection
It was also stated that PM Shehbaz will himself chair the National Population Council. The council will include the chief ministers of all four provinces, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister, the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister and other relevant stakeholders.
The briefing informed the meeting that social protection programmes will be linked with family planning initiatives. It was also stated that women’s education and economic empowerment will form key elements of the population strategy. An awareness campaign is to be launched for population balance and control.
The meeting was told that countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Iran have implemented effective population management programmes. The National Population Council is expected to support a coordinated national campaign in collaboration with provincial governments. The Council secretariat will function under the Ministry of Planning.
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior officials.
