Day: July 12, 2026

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman on World Population day emphasized the need for collective responsibility and public awareness to tackle rising population pressures affecting the country’s environment, water availability and food security.

On this occasion, Sherry Rehman, in her message, stressed that the increasing population is placing additional burdens on water resources, food supply, education, healthcare, housing and employment opportunities.

She said population growth is not merely a matter of numbers but also a challenge of providing better facilities and sustainable living conditions in cities.

Senator emphasised that family planning should be integrated into budget priorities, economic planning and development policies.

She said that a significant portion of the population is living below the poverty line, while limited resources and rapid population growth are creating further difficulties for families and the country, adding, population management is a shared responsibility requiring long-term planning.

Sherry added that unchecked population growth could have serious consequences for future generations, affecting access to basic facilities and quality of life.

She called for greater awareness among people about responsible population planning.

She stressed that the government, civil society and relevant stakeholders must work together to create awareness and promote sustainable solutions to address population challenges and secure a better future.

Islamabad: Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued a three-day traffic diversion plan, effective from 8: 00 a.m. on July 11 to 12: 00 midnight on July 13, to facilitate the movement of foreign delegations in the federal capital.

An ITP official told reporter on Saturday that temporary traffic diversions would remain in place on major roads, and commuters were advised to use alternate routes to avoid inconvenience.

The official said the following diversions would be implemented:

Suhrawardy Chowk to Serena Chowk: Traffic will be diverted. Motorists are advised to use Embassy Road as an alternate route.

Constitution Avenue (France Turn) to Serena Chowk: Traffic will be diverted, while one-way traffic will remain operational during the diversion.

Aabpara via Srinagar Highway towards Serena Chowk: Traffic will be diverted. Commuters should use Seventh Avenue via Srinagar Highway as an alternate route.

Kashmir Chowk towards Serena Chowk: Traffic will also be diverted.

Motorists are advised to use Seventh Avenue through Srinagar Highway.

The official urged citizens to plan their journeys in advance, allow extra travel time during the diversion period and cooperate with traffic police to ensure smooth traffic management.

He advised road users to follow the Islamabad Traffic Police WhatsApp Channel or tune in to ITP FM 92.4 for real-time traffic updates and further travel advisories.

Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saturday, reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring the uninterrupted supply of sugar at affordable prices.

Chairing a high-level meeting to take stock of the availability of sugar across the country and ensure price stability for consumers, he stressed that the government would adopt a zero-tolerance policy against hoarding, speculation, and artificial price hikes.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research, in coordination with provincial food departments, briefed the Committee on current sugar stocks, production projections, and market price trends.

The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Member FBR, and senior federal and provincial officials.

After a thorough review of the data presented on provincial and national sugar reserves, the committee expressed satisfaction over the overall availability and supply position.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Saturday said the digital capabilities and technical skills of young people were the guarantee of Pakistan’s bright future.

In her message on World Population Day, the minister said efforts were underway to equip the country’s youth with modern technology and world-class digital facilities.

Shaza Fatima said empowering women economically through digital education and IT training was among the government’s top priorities.

She said Pakistani women were playing a positive role globally, with support from the IT sector.

In line with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s vision, she said the government was working to improve internet connectivity and build a Digital Pakistan.

Islamabad: Balochistan coal miners and their families received over Rs260 million in welfare assistance under the death and marriage grant schemes during the seven-year period from 2019 to 26.

According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, a total of 641 cases were supported during the period, including 307 death grant cases and 334 marriage grant cases.

The disbursements highlight the continued dependence of mine workers and their families on welfare support in a province where coal mining remains one of the most difficult and hazardous occupations.

According to the data, death grants accounted for the largest share of assistance, with Rs173.24 million disbursed in 307 cases.

For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the document lists two separate entries under death grants: 72 cases totaling Rs 36 million and 64 cases totaling Rs 32 million. Combined, these represent 136 cases and Rs 68 million in disbursements.

In 2020-21, death grant support was provided in 29 cases, with Rs15.3 million released. The number declined to 25 cases in 2021-22, involving Rs15 million. In 2022-23, 27 cases were supported with Rs14.8 million, while 18 cases were covered in 2023-24 with Rs11 million disbursed.

The death grant cases rose again in 2024-25, when 53 cases were provided with Rs33.94 million. During 2025-26, 19 death grant cases were recorded, with Rs15.2 million disbursed.

Marriage grants were provided in 334 cases, totaling Rs 87.7 million during the period. This includes 33 cases receiving Rs 3.3 million in 2019-20, and 58 cases supported with Rs 7.8 million in 2020-21.

In 2021-22, Rs9.6 million was released in 48 marriage grant cases. The number fell to 31 cases in 2022-23, with Rs6.2 million disbursed. However, the amount increased sharply in 2023-24, when 61 cases received Rs23.60 million.

The highest number of marriage grant cases was recorded in 2024-25, with 70 cases receiving Rs24 million. During 2025-26, 33 cases were supported with Rs13.2 million.

Overall, death grants represented about two-thirds of total welfare disbursements, reflecting the financial support extended to families after the loss of life in the mining sector.

Marriage grants made up the remaining share and were aimed at supporting miners’ families in meeting social and household expenses.

The figures indicate that welfare disbursements for Balochistan’s coal miners have continued across successive years, though annual amounts and case numbers varied. The data also underlines the need for stronger safety, monitoring, and social protection mechanisms for coal miners, whose work remains exposed to serious occupational risks.

Islamabad: Pakistan’s rapid population growth is putting greater pressure on water, land and public services and could undermine efforts to build resilience against climate change, a climate ministry official warned on Saturday.

Speaking on World Population Day, Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, told reporter that demographic pressures were increasingly intersecting with floods, droughts, heatwaves and other climate-related hazards.

Pakistan’s population is estimated at around 259 million and is growing at approximately 2.55 per cent annually. If the current trend continues, the population could exceed 300m within the next five years and approach 400m by 2050, he said.

‘Every additional million people requires more water, food, energy, housing, schools, hospitals, transport infrastructure and employment opportunities,’ Shaikh said.

He described population growth as a ‘climate risk multiplier’, arguing that rising demand for natural resources was coinciding with declining water availability and environmental degradation.

Pakistan records nearly 6.7m births annually. According to figures cited by the official, wider access to voluntary family planning could reduce annual population growth by around 1.5m people while improving maternal and child health outcomes.

The country’s total fertility rate stands at 3.6 children per woman. Nearly 40 per cent of children under five are stunted, 18pc are wasted and 29pc are underweight.

Around 11,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes each year, while approximately 140,000 infants die before their first birthday, according to figures cited by the ministry.

Shaikh said improved access to reproductive healthcare and voluntary family planning could help prevent thousands of maternal and infant deaths.

The demographic outlook also poses significant infrastructure and employment challenges. Population Council estimates suggest the country could require another 57,000 primary schools, 15.5m houses and nearly 104m new jobs by 2050 if current population trends persist.

Shaikh said rapid urbanisation and population growth were also contributing to groundwater depletion, deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss, waste generation and air pollution.

Although Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains highly exposed to the effects of climate change, making efficient management of natural resources increasingly important, he said.

Climate adaptation, he added, could not be confined to flood protection infrastructure and tree plantation programmes.

‘It also requires investing in voluntary family planning, girls’ education, women’s empowerment, reproductive healthcare, clean water, sanitation and sustainable urban planning,’ he said.

Shaikh said federal and provincial institutions were considering policy options, in consultation with development partners and civil society organisations, to address population pressures and improve resource efficiency.

He called for closer coordination between population, climate and development policies, saying population stabilisation was essential to environmental sustainability and long-term economic development.