Press Release – ISSI Hosted a High-Level Roundtable Meeting on Rapid Population Growth in Collaboration with Population Council, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan – The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the Population Council Pakistan convened a high-level roundtable meeting to address the security implications of rapid population growth in Pakistan, which has surpassed 256 million people and become the world’s fifth most populous nation.

Rapid Population Growth as a Security Challenge

The meeting brought together policymakers, security experts, academics, and development practitioners to examine population dynamics as a critical non-traditional security challenge for Pakistan. Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir, Senior Director, Programs and Research, Population Council Pakistan, emphasized that population dynamics are central to national security, noting the speed of growth is outpacing the state’s capacity to provide essential services.

Dr. Mir cautioned that unchecked population growth risks turning Pakistan’s youth bulge into a demographic liability, eroding human capital, social cohesion, and governance capacity. He stressed the importance of framing population balance as a strategic imperative grounded in rights, responsibilities, and resources.

Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors, ISSI, noted the far-reaching implications of demographic pressures for governance, resource management, and national resilience. He observed that rising demand for resources, coupled with rapid urbanization, is intensifying social and economic pressures, and highlighted the potential to transform demographic challenges into opportunities through sustained investments in education, health, and family planning.

Pakistan’s Population Trends and Policy

Mr. Ali Mazhar, Director Communications, Population Council Pakistan, outlined key population trends, including high fertility rates, a large youth cohort, widespread out-of-school children, low female labor force participation, and regional disparities, particularly in Balochistan. He introduced the Tawazun (Balance) Narrative, which promotes informed and voluntary family decision-making, universal access to family planning, and alignment between population growth and available resources.

Dr. Neelum Nigar, Director, Centre for Strategic Perspectives, ISSI, emphasized that population growth functions as a risk multiplier, intensifying human security pressures and undermining state legitimacy when governance capacity lags. While acknowledging Pakistan’s National Security Policy adopts a human-centric approach, she cited persistent implementation gaps, policy incoherence, and institutional constraints as key challenges.

Discussion Highlights and Recommendations

Air Marshal (Retd.) Farhat Hussain described rapid population growth as a serious threat to national security, warning that a large number of out-of-school and unemployed youth increases vulnerability to instability and extremism. He emphasized the need for people-centric policies prioritizing education, health, and livelihoods.

Mr. Haroon Sharif, Chairman, Pakistan Regional Economic Forum, offered a political economy perspective, noting the mismatch between demographic pressures and economic capacity. He highlighted declining growth rates, constrained fiscal space, and limited job creation, advocating for governance reform, depoliticized policymaking, and investment in skills-based growth.

Participants underscored the need to address population growth through a comprehensive human security lens, linking it to water scarcity, food security, climate vulnerability, urbanization, and irregular migration. They called for stronger data systems, institutional coordination, and engagement with religious leaders, media, and youth.

Participants agreed that rapid population growth amplifies Pakistan’s existing security, governance, and development challenges. The roundtable underscored the need for renewed commitment, institutional coordination, and strategic foresight to embed population management within Pakistan’s national security framework, reinforcing that policy choices will determine whether Pakistan’s population becomes a source of stability or a driver of risk.