Pakistan, which was living in poverty, is now worried about the increasing population! Asim Munir took the responsibility of controlling population

New Delhi: The list of responsibilities of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir has once again become long. After army, diplomacy and economy, now he has also been entrusted with the task of controlling the uncontrollable population of the country. Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal announced this in the Senate meeting this week.

Shahbaz government handed over new responsibility  

According to the report of ‘The Dawn’, Pakistan is the 5th largest country in the world with a population of more than 259 million. It is estimated that by 2030 it will overtake Indonesia and become the fourth largest country. For Pakistan, which is facing economic crisis, this increasing population is no less than a demographic disaster.

For this reason, PM Shahbaz Sharif has formed a special committee in which Army Chief Asim Munir is also included. The government has now declared it a national priority. Health Minister said, "The government is giving top priority to this issue and important policy decisions are being taken at every level."  

Why was the burden placed on the Army Chief?  

Munir is already handling many fronts. Security challenges on Balochistan and Afghan border, increasing unrest in POK and economic difficulties. This week, rebels and TTP had killed 42 security personnel in Balochistan. In such a situation, giving civil responsibility like population control to the Army Chief has become a topic of discussion in Pakistan.

There was a flood of memes on social media. One user wrote, "Munir Saheb, will you distribute condoms now?" Journalist Asad Toor taunted, "If a field marshal is needed for population control then the government should go home."  

Why is the population increasing so fast?  

According to the Health Department, there are two main reasons. First, lack of contraceptive means. On an average, 67 lakh children are born every year in Pakistan. To stop this, the government is now thinking of giving tax exemption on contraceptive products. The second reason is revenue sharing. Currently, about 80% of the funds received by the provinces are decided on the basis of population.

This means more population = more money. The government now wants to bring it down to 50%. But Punjab will face the biggest problem with this proposal. Punjab is the largest province and also the stronghold of the Sharif family. The leaders there may not agree to revenue cuts.

Will Munir be able to win this battle?  

At present the rate of population growth of Pakistan is 2.55% annually. Experts are warning that if this pace continues, the country’s resources will soon be exhausted. This is an alarm bell for the economy that runs on debt and foreign aid. Now we have to see that "Generals of every front" Whether Asim Munir can win on this front also or not.