Need for Balancing Approach By Javed Iqbal

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Need for Balancing Approach By Javed Iqbal

Although the demand and supply principle is a purely economic term usually used to explain economic issues. But it also provides the best analysis of a country’s available resources and the demand of the population. Maintaining a balance between available resources and demand is a sane approach and time tested recipe for success. This approach maintains a very delicate balance and any sort of mistake can disturb this equilibrium.

Practical implementation of this approach, in our case, presents a very alarming picture.

The current population of Pakistan is 253,749,877. The population growth rate is around 1.93% per year. If this rate continues, Pakistan’s population is projected to reach around 285 million by 2030 and 320 million by 2035. Pakistan’s population is equivalent to 3.1% of the total world population.


Pakistan ranks at number 5th.

The population density in Pakistan is 331 per Km2 (857 people per mi2).

The total land area is 770,880 Km2 (297,638 sq. miles). Moreover, 34.4 % of the population is urban (87,777,053 people in 2025). The median age in Pakistan is 20.6 years.


According to the Planning Commission report, Pakistan’s literacy rate stands at 46%, where the literacy rate is at 80% in urban areas, but only 20% in rural settlements.

Whereas available resources to cater the need for shelter, nutrition, health, education, employment opportunities and good quality of life, the growing population present significant challenges. In the education sector, only 6% of the youth population can avail themselves of higher education, while a significant 29% lack access to any form of education. Furthermore, according to the Planning Commission report, Pakistan’s literacy rate stands at 46%, where the literacy rate is at 80% in urban areas, but only 20% in rural settlements.

The same is the case in the health, employment, and housing sectors.

With the population projected to reach around 275 million by 2030, the healthcare system will face significant challenges in meeting the increased demand for services. The healthcare workforce will need to expand significantly to keep up with the demand. This includes doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

The unemployment rate reflects ongoing challenges in the job market, including economic policies and global trends. This amplifying rise is an immense challenge and hurdle in the development of Pakistan.

At the government level, certain measures have been taken like a series of steps, including enacting laws to restrain early/ childhood marriages, decentralization of family planning and reproductive health services to the local governments, strengthening the family planning programme and network through a public-private mix approach, resource mobilization, linking population programmes with social security and safety nets, promoting health literacy and engaging with key stakeholders.

It is pertinent to mention that Government measures alone can’t achieve desired objectives till the time complete ownership by the entire society. And most importantly core responsibility lies on civil society, media, politicians, teachers and last but not least the religious community to play a leading role in steering the country out of this quagmire.

The writer is a freelance columnist with special focus on issues concerning national security.

Source: https://dailytimes.com.pk/1266602/need- ... -approach/