2017 Pakistan Census Preliminary Results - Population may be as high as 220 million

[DW44]

So Dunya News (their English website and Urdu newspaper) is reporting that according to initial estimates (from unnamed sources so take it with a grain of salt), the census puts Pakistan's population at approximately 219 million (213.1 million excluding AJK and GB). Now I can't speak to the authenticity of these figures since it's Dunya News and they're quoting "unofficial" and "unnamed" sources but if it's anywhere near correct, surely it should be sending the alarm bells ringing.

For starters, if this 219 million figure is correct, that puts our growth rate in the 19 years since 1998 at 2.6%. This figure is higher than our population growth rate in the 50s and 70s (slightly lower than the 60s) which, again, should send the alarm bells ringing. Our neighbors, India and Bangladesh, are now growing at less than 1.5% a year, Iran close to or just under 1%, and China at less than 0.5%. Can Pakistan, given our shaky economic foundation, support these numbers and the rate at which they're growing?

This should be a wake up call for our policymakers and no effort should be spared to reduce that growth rate by at least 60-70% if not more. Such efforts would face opposition from the usual quarters but this is one of those now or never moments because this can't go on for too long. I remember back in the 90s the government took some half assed steps towards population control but the ads for birth control products and government sponsored PSAs by the Population Welfare Department that were ubiquitous on TVs back then have disappeared completely and when restrictions were eased a few years ago, the clergy made a massive hue and cry over a supposedly "obscene" ad for condoms which was banned and put an end to the short lived experiment of allowing such things on TV.

Sources (which, I reiterate, should be taken with a grain of salt):

http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/390117-Initial-estimates-after-Census-2017-put-population
http://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2017-08-11&edition=LHR&id=3299995_49085653

 

[troodon]

So India cannot claim to have more Muslims than Pakistan then.

Next target is Indonesia.

 

[boomboomcheema]

So India cannot claim to have more Muslims than Pakistan then.

Next target is Indonesia.

Unless Indian Muslims have a higher Growth rate, their population will always lag behind Pakistani Muslims.

As Pakistani Muslims are higher in Numbers and will most likely maintain a higher growth rate.

 

[Bewal Express]

With the lights going off so often, what do you expect?

 

[DW44]

So India cannot claim to have more Muslims than Pakistan then.

Next target is Indonesia.

That claim was invalid even with the old 180-190 million population figure since 97% of 190 million was still more than India's Muslim population. It is one of those things people just say to make a point without first checking if its true or not.

 

[big_gamer007]

So if POK and GB population is included it puts Pakistani population to 250mill+? Population and religion are two biggest reasons why sub continent is how it is, sooner we realise it he better for our kids..

 

[Markhor]

So Dunya News (their English website and Urdu newspaper) is reporting that according to initial estimates (from unnamed sources so take it with a grain of salt), the census puts Pakistan's population at approximately 219 million (213.1 million excluding AJK and GB). Now I can't speak to the authenticity of these figures since it's Dunya News and they're quoting "unofficial" and "unnamed" sources but if it's anywhere near correct, surely it should be sending the alarm bells ringing.

For starters, if this 219 million figure is correct, that puts our growth rate in the 19 years since 1998 at 2.6%. This figure is higher than our population growth rate in the 50s and 70s (slightly lower than the 60s) which, again, should send the alarm bells ringing. Our neighbors, India and Bangladesh, are now growing at less than 1.5% a year, Iran close to or just under 1%, and China at less than 0.5%. Can Pakistan, given our shaky economic foundation, support these numbers and the rate at which they're growing?

This should be a wake up call for our policymakers and no effort should be spared to reduce that growth rate by at least 60-70% if not more. Such efforts would face opposition from the usual quarters but this is one of those now or never moments because this can't go on for too long. I remember back in the 90s the government took some half assed steps towards population control but the ads for birth control products and government sponsored PSAs by the Population Welfare Department that were ubiquitous on TVs back then have disappeared completely and when restrictions were eased a few years ago, the clergy made a massive hue and cry over a supposedly "obscene" ad for condoms which was banned and put an end to the short lived experiment of allowing such things on TV.

Sources (which, I reiterate, should be taken with a grain of salt):

http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/390117-Initial-estimates-after-Census-2017-put-population
http://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2017-08-11&edition=LHR&id=3299995_49085653

Sadly any real attempts to control population growth will be met with cries of "This is a conspiracy to reduce the size of the Ummah. Allah de gaa na !"

Even the mullahs of Iran realised the need for a comprehensive programme of birth control in the late 1980s/1990s realising that huge spurts in population growth without a commensurate increase in resources such as schools, housing, hospitals, clean water etc was a recipe for national suicide.

Contraceptives were mass manufactured and distributed free at government health clinics, including thousands set up in rural areas whilst birth control classes were made mandatory before marriage.

Since the 1980s, Iran experienced the largest and fastest drop in fertility ever recorded - from about seven births per woman to fewer than two today. So a template is right on Pakistan's doorstep !

 

[DW44]

Sadly any real attempts to control population growth will be met with cries of "This is a conspiracy to reduce the size of the Ummah. Allah de gaa na !"

Even the mullahs of Iran realised the need for a comprehensive programme of birth control in the late 1980s/1990s realising that huge spurts in population growth without a commensurate increase in resources such as schools, housing, hospitals, clean water etc was a recipe for national suicide.

Contraceptives were mass manufactured and distributed free at government health clinics, including thousands set up in rural areas whilst birth control classes were made mandatory before marriage.

Since the 1980s, Iran experienced the largest and fastest drop in fertility ever recorded - from about seven births per woman to fewer than two today. So a template is right on Pakistan's doorstep !

One of the biggest factors behind the steep drop in Iran's growth rates is the fact that Iranian women are extremely well educated. A few years ago, it got to the point where their mullahs contemplated limiting the number of university places open to women due to the large disparity between the number of female and male students at Iranian universities. Growth rates are intimately tied to female literacy rates and Pakistan has possibly the lowest female literacy rate in the world excluding sub Saharan Africa.

 

[Syed1]

With the lights going off so often, what do you expect?

This comment made me chuckle.. )


Also reminded me of a comment from a uncle I met who had a pretty young daugher while his other children were fairly old. He said "Canada mein sardi buhat parti hai, ghar mein rehna parta hai sara waqt"

 

[shah_1]

I read Dawn, there are ads on it of family planning by Sindh goverment with Molvis quotes.

We need such ads everywhere on newspaper and TV channels, special door to door compaign in villages to educate women. Sindh is paying attention to this matter by developing CIP and now implementing it . Mass media compaign is needed by every provincial goverment to create awareness