The Dawn reported on July 12 that Pakistan has established a high-level Population Management Commission, with Army Chief Asim Munir among its members. It is estimated that Pakistan currently has around 241.5 million people, with an annual growth rate of approximately 2.55%. If this trend continues, Pakistan is projected to become the world's fourth most populous country before 2030. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened multiple high-level population management meetings and formed the High-Level Population Management Commission, whose members include Army Chief Asim Munir (Asim Munir), Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. Analysts point out that the commission faces several challenges: first, the National Finance Commission (NFC) currently allocates about 82% of federal resources based on population, which objectively incentivizes provinces to maintain high birth rates. To address this, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has recommended reducing this weight to 50%. Second, expanding family planning programs could reduce annual births by approximately 1.5 million, but contraceptive supply remains limited. Third, following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, population welfare has been transferred to provincial jurisdictions, restricting federal legislative authority; thus, Parliament cannot legislate on exclusively provincial matters. The commission has requested consultations with legal experts, religious scholars, and parliamentary institutions. Notably, Indian media have closely watched Army Chief Munir’s involvement in this commission, stating he is "playing an increasingly important role in Pakistan’s policy-making framework." Additionally, Munir concurrently serves as a member of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870585834446848/
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