Pakistan is at a serious demographic junction. The country records approximately 12.7 million pregnancies annually, and most of these pregnancies are almost six million of this number is unplanned. This number, disclosed during the Pakistan Population Summit 2025 in Islamabad, points to one of the most urgent issues of the country, the epidemic of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies that is ready to populate the country at a rapid pace, requiring the overstraining of the national resources. The two-day summit titled Restoring Balance and Building Sustainable Futures was organised by DawnMedia, and was attended by top policy makers, economists, medical professionals, religious thinkers and activists of women’s rights movements to discuss the theme. The deliberations have shown that unless concerted efforts are initiated, the population of Pakistan of about 257 million nowadays may reach 350 million by 2050, straining the Pakistani economy, health system, and environment.
The Magnitude of the Crisis: 6 Million Unplanned Births and Years
Among 12.7 million pregnancies registered each year, 6 million turn out to be unintended, implying that an average of one out of every two pregnancies in a year is unintended. This means that the country has grave weaknesses in terms of reproductive health services, access to contraceptives and family planning awareness. This tendency was reported by the Federal Health Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh as a national emergency, and the births outside the plan are not only a demographic problem but also a development problem influencing the education, medical, and social welfare systems. He observed that, since independence, the population of Pakistan has increased to almost 257 million, having increased by more than sevenfold in merely 77 years, as compared to economic growth, employment and social development.
The Reason behind So Many Unplanned Pregnancies? Key Underlying Reasons
1.No or Minimal Access to Family Planning Services:
Millions of women, especially in the rural and low-income regions, do not have access to modern birth control or skilled health practitioners. Clinics are also understaffed in most cases, and most married couples do not view the use of contraceptives as a cultural idea. Madiha Latif, a Program Director at Pathfinder International, disclosed that most health workers do not encourage young ornewlyw married women to use birth control, and this only contributes to the cycle of unplanned pregnancies.
2. Myths, Misconceptions, and Lack of Awareness
Poor literacy and lack of reproductive health education have contributed to the common myths about contraception. Most women assume that family planning makes one infertil,e or it is not allowed by religion. Qazi, the founder of QZ Catalyst, discussed the necessity of constant health education of women: from infertility or newlywed adolescence to postpartum. Women require factual information regularly. Empowerment cannot take place without education.
3. Religious Misinterpretations
On top, there are various religious scholars who tried to rectify the misconceptions about Islam and family planning. Chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology, Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, explained: Family planning is not anti-Islamic. This is the Islamic duty to ensure the well-being and health of mothers and children. Similarly, Mufti Zubair Ashraf Usmani confirmed that birth spacing is lawful in Sharia, especially when the life of the mothers is endangered.
4 .Gender Inequality and Economic Dependence
The lack of financial autonomy by women is still a significant obstacle towards reproductive autonomy. Rights activist Tahira Abdullaemphasiseded that the right to choose when and how to have children is both a constitutional and human right and not a conditional privilege of women. Empirical evidence provided by Ayesha Leghari of Population Services International indicated that women who are empowered economically make better and responsible decisions about their reproductive lives and that this has a Multi-dimensionaldirect impact by directly decreasing the unexpected pregnancies.
Impact of Unplanned Births: Multi dimensional Menace
1. per centExcessive Health and Education Systems
Unintended pregnancies have caused overcrowded hospitals, high death rates of mothers and 40 per cent per cent stunted children. The education system is failing under the pressure of the demographic situation because there are now over 26 million children out of school.
2.Strain and Poverty Trap in Economies
Economist Dr Ishrat Husain noted that, had Pakistan kept a low population growth rate (1.8 per centper cent City,,fromfromuninhabitableuninhabitable ther than 2.5 percent), its per capita income would have reached to a high of $2,100 as opposed to $1,400-1,500. He cautioned that unregulated growth waters down national income, creates unemployment and leads to poverty.
3.Crowding and Infrastructure Failure in the city
The Karachi population as observed by urban planner Arif Hasan grew by 1 million population in 1951 to an unbelievable 20 million population in 2023, thus overwhelming housing, transport, and public utilities. He told people without any policy on migration that our cities would become inhabitable by the coming generations.
4 An increasebe long-term Women’swomen’sthe wasstrategy the door-to-doortress on the Environment and Climate
Increase in population puts a strain on land, water and energy supply. Experts warned that by 2050, per capita water supply would fall to less than 500 cubic meters, and Pakistan would have been in absolute water shortage. The problem of rapid deforestation and growing urban slums is enhancing pollution and exposure to climatic conditions.
Recommendations of the Summit: A Reform Roadmap
1.The National Population Framework
A bipartisan, long term plan, to bring population management to all sectors was proposed by Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar as a National Population Charter. He also requested parliament debates and legislative changes in order to create uniform policies across provinces.
2.Women Empowerment: Health and Education
Investment in women health and education of girls were the best population management strategies that should be invested in by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also launched healthcare plans such as free maternal care and child support to newborn girls and said that a healthy and educated mother is a strong nation.
3.Infrastructure Strengthening of Family Planning
The summit encouraged the government to increase availability of modern contraceptive use, educate health practitioners and to combine family planning and maternal and child health programs. It was suggested that experts should use digital health tools and door-to-door,are the normalise outreach particularly in underserved regions. Involving Faith Leaders and Media. Religious scholars accepted to be on frontline advancing birth spacing by preaching and creating community awareness. Advertisements through media, sponsored by groups such as DawnMedia, will help normaliseAbdulla emphasised have various religious scholars have tried, normalised outreach asincreasecent Excessivemultidimensional direct dialogue on family planning and female health.
4.Urban Politics and Resources Distribution
City planners argued in favour of the creation of secondary cities to relieve the migration congestion in Karachi and Lahore. This called on the policymakers to reform National Finance Commission (NFC) Award so that they can help allocate money according to the needs of demographic stress and service delivery.
