The projection that Pakistan’s population could reach 400 million by 2040 should not be dismissed as another startling statistic to be cited at conferences, echoed in official speeches and then forgotten when budget priorities are set.
It is a stark reminder of the scale of the country’s future responsibilities. Every additional child born today will require healthcare, vaccinations, adequate nutrition, quality education, clean drinking water, sanitation, housing, transport and, eventually, meaningful employment. Yet the reality is that Pakistan’s public services are already struggling to meet the needs of millions. Hospitals remain overcrowded, schools lack teachers and infrastructure, and unemployment continues to rise. If these challenges persist under the current population trajectory, the strain on public resources will become even more severe.
The debate over population growth is too often reduced to appeals for “individual responsibility,” placing the burden almost entirely on families while overlooking the state’s own shortcomings. The real issue is not that people are unwilling to make informed choices about family size. Rather, Pakistan has never succeeded in making voluntary family planning a reliable and accessible component of primary healthcare. In many areas, contraceptive supplies are inconsistent, trained healthcare workers are insufficient, counselling services are limited, and reproductive healthcare remains difficult to access because of financial constraints, long travel distances, social stigma and, in many households, the need for male permission. Under such circumstances, expecting families to exercise informed reproductive choice without providing the necessary support is unrealistic.
The government’s decision to establish a new national council on population can become meaningful only if it translates concern into measurable action across the provinces. Population policy cannot remain confined to meetings, declarations and policy papers. It must be reflected in stronger healthcare systems, improved service delivery and clear accountability. Family planning services should be integrated into every Basic Health Unit, maternal healthcare facility and postnatal care programme. A full range of safe contraceptive methods should be consistently available, accompanied by proper counselling, follow-up care and public awareness campaigns that reach both urban and rural communities.
Equally important is expanding the conversation beyond women alone. Family planning remains widely viewed as a woman’s responsibility, despite the fact that many women have limited authority over reproductive decisions within their households. Men must therefore become active participants in awareness campaigns and counselling programmes so that decisions about family size become shared responsibilities. Young couples, newly married families and underserved rural communities should receive particular attention, ensuring that access to information begins early rather than after repeated unintended pregnancies.
Pakistan’s network of Lady Health Workers remains one of the country’s greatest public health assets, but its potential continues to be undermined by inadequate funding, irregular supplies and inconsistent policy support. These frontline workers require continuous training, dependable contraceptive supplies, timely salaries and institutional backing to effectively serve their communities. Districts with the poorest reproductive healthcare coverage should receive priority funding, while indicators such as contraceptive availability, maternal mortality, adolescent pregnancies and unintended births should become part of routine performance evaluations for provincial health departments.
International support can certainly help. The recent reproductive health assistance from China and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a positive contribution, but external funding should complement—not replace—a sustained domestic commitment. Pakistan needs a permanent budget for reproductive health, efficient procurement systems and uninterrupted supply chains. Reliance on donor-funded programmes alone leaves essential healthcare services vulnerable to changing international priorities.
At the same time, population policy must remain firmly grounded in voluntary choice, informed consent and respect for individual dignity. History has shown that coercive population control measures breed distrust, disproportionately harm poorer communities and discourage women from seeking healthcare. The strongest argument for smaller, well-spaced families is not government control but healthier mothers, healthier children and better educational and economic opportunities for future generations.
Pakistan does not suffer from a shortage of councils, strategies or policy documents. What it lacks is consistency between announcements and implementation. The prospect of a population reaching 400 million is not an unavoidable destiny. It is the possible consequence of another decade and a half in which access to family planning remains uncertain, healthcare systems remain underfunded and political attention shifts elsewhere once the headlines fade.
Ultimately, Pakistan’s demographic future will not be determined by projections or speeches. It will be shaped by the everyday realities faced by ordinary families—whether a young couple can obtain reliable reproductive healthcare at the nearest clinic, whether trained health workers have the supplies they need, and whether the state finally treats family planning not as an occasional campaign but as a permanent pillar of national development. That is where the country’s future will truly be decided.
Shafaqna Pakistan
pakistan.shafaqna.com
Note: Shafaqna do not endorse the views expressed in the article
