People visit a park in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 11, 2023.(Photo by Sajjad/Xinhua)
ISLAMABAD, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that management of population growth is key to socio-economic development for countries around the world, especially developing countries including Pakistan.
"Population remains at the heart of effective national planning...No country, however resourceful, can deal with population explosion. Drawing a balance between population and resources is fundamental to the fulfillment of the needs of teeming millions," Sharif said in his message on the World Population Day.
The prime minister said that the day draws attention to the vast disparity between the requirements of increasing population and availability of resources as well as the need for affirmative policy actions to empower communities and the people.
Highlighting challenges such as climate change, geostrategic upheavals and dysfunction of markets in achieving sustainable development goals, Sharif said that countries are finding it hard to stay on course for achieving millennium development goals.
He urged all the stakeholders to invest in empowering communities by building their capacity through the provision of better health and educational facilities and an enabling environment to unlock their potential.
Sharif also stressed the idea of balanced development, saying it is grounded in the empowerment of communities, helping in achieving development goals and increasing human productivity. ■
People pose for a photo at a slum in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 11, 2023. (Photo by Sajjad/Xinhua)