Call For National Population Strategy Echoes In High-Level Budget Meeting

Islamabad: The pre-budget meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population (PFP) held detailed discussions on fiscal and policy priorities related to rapid population growth ahead of the Federal Budget 2026–27.

The meeting, organized by the Population Council in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), brought together more than 40 parliamentarians, including members of the Senate, National and Provincial Assemblies, as well as representatives from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

Chairing the session, PFP Chairperson Sherry Rehman described unchecked population growth as a major challenge to national resources. She stressed the immediate removal of taxes on contraceptives and family planning commodities and called for stronger political commitment at both federal and provincial levels. She added that population management must be treated as a national and household-level priority and fully integrated into the budget-making process.

Special Assistant to the Finance Ministry for Special Initiatives Adnan Pasha Siddiqui, in his keynote address, termed population growth a critical economic challenge. He said that had effective planning been done in the past, Pakistan's per capita income and GDP would be significantly higher today. He also called for revisiting the NFC Award formula, redefining fiscal priorities, and launching a long-term National Population Stabilization Program.

Economist Dr. Hammad Mukhtar noted that despite the size of the federal development budget, allocations for population-related initiatives remain minimal, reflecting a lack of prioritization rather than resource scarcity.

UNFPA International Family Planning Advisor Dr. Melanie Hidayat highlighted the financial gap in family planning services, stating that family planning is not only a health investment but also yields significant economic and social returns. She urged activation of the Pakistan Population Fund, efficient utilization of allocated resources, and inclusion of tax exemption on contraceptives in the Finance Bill.

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During discussions chaired by Farooq Sattar, lawmakers from across the country expressed political consensus on addressing population challenges. They emphasized revising the NFC formula, linking resource distribution to human development indicators, reducing regional disparities, and improving service delivery in rural areas.

Farooq Sattar also underscored the importance of involving local governments in population stabilization strategies and ensuring effective monitoring of programs.

In the concluding session, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue Syed Naveed Qamar reaffirmed Parliament's commitment to continuously monitoring budgetary commitments related to population and family planning to ensure policy decisions are translated into effective implementation. He also reiterated the need to remove taxes on contraceptive commodities.

Key stakeholders, including United Nations Population Fund and the Population Council, emphasized coordinated action to address Pakistan's growing demographic pressures.

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