ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee convened at Parliament House under the leadership of Senator Quratulain Marri to assess the progress of the National Action Plan on Population (2021-2026). Officials from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, and the Population Programme Wing provided detailed briefings on the initiative’s targets, financial usage, and distribution strategies.
According to Senate of Pakistan, the plan targets a reduction in the national population growth rate to 1.5 percent by 2025 and 1.1 percent by 2030, with a corresponding decrease in the Total Fertility Rate to 2.6 births per woman by 2025 and 2.2 by 2030. The program currently spans 25 districts in areas such as Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory, impacting around 9.3 million individuals.
The committee learned of the project’s total allocation of Rs. 1,998.82 million, with Rs. 1,679.60 million designated for commodity procurement and Rs. 243.50 million for advocacy and communication. Of the Rs. 1,200 million allocated up to June 2026, Rs. 470 million has been released and Rs. 383.329 million utilized, marking 19.1% financial and 17% physical progress against targets. The committee underscored the necessity for prompt fund release and utilization to prevent service interruptions.
Ministry officials highlighted that contraceptive commodities are centralized and distributed through hubs in Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, and Islamabad. The committee stressed prioritizing population management in national planning, advocating for a modernized communication strategy to engage younger demographics through digital platforms and social media.
The session also featured briefings by the Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives and Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), on PBS’s data frameworks. Discussions included data access in regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir and data integration mechanisms between ministries. Committee members raised concerns about monitoring price fluctuations for essential commodities to enhance planning measures.
The committee commended the bureau’s support system and planned a visit to inspect department operations. Additionally, a proposal to include statistics as a core subject in the Federal Public Service Commission’s competitive course curricula was suggested to bolster public service analytical skills. The meeting was attended by Senators Jam Saifullah Khan, Saadia Abbasi, Manzoor Ahmed, and Shahadat Awan.