Pakistan’s Huge population; a Blessing or a Curse.

During the separation of Pakistan and India, hundreds of thousand of refugees came to Pakistan
from India. Settling these were a burden on the newly born state due to various reasons: struggling
economy (haven’t got it inherited share yet), management issues, lack of emergency response
institutions and administrative problems. Certain ground realities of that time still persist in Pakistan
such as weak economy; to meet the needs of its population. Population, if exceed the limits of state
capacity to meet the demands of its people or cross the carrying capacity of environment called over
population. Pakistan, since its inception has been facing this issue. Furthermore, enormous population
of the state has resulted into failure by state in its provision of basic facilities of life. Pakistan stand 5 th in
the world in term of its population and it has been a nightmare for the state to coup with such gigantic
population especially during emergency. It is a disaster prone country as evident from the data
specifically available after 1947. The data in one hand shows the number of natural disaster while on the
other hand shows that how many times state has failed to provide emergency response to people,
resulting in loss of precious lives. Beside that, the ongoing protests on price hikes of petroleum items,
electricity bills and other groceries of household tell the same story. The rate of unemployment, health
care facilities, security as promised by state, clean drinking water and food security shows that the
population growth has crossed state capacity. For instance Pakistan Institute of Developing Economics
(PIDE) claimed that half of the Pakistan’s population face severe water shortage for one month in a
year. PIDE also claimed that it is due to over exploitation of underground water source, showing that the
rise in population has passed the environmental capacity. On the other hand, a contradictory discourse
exist on the issue which claimed that in contemporary world , state and economic system is dominated
by Capitalism. From capitalist view, huge population means more demand resulting in more production
and benefitting state on the bigger picture. It is a fact and has been true for many countries. But what
those countries and Pakistan has not in common is that their currencies are not 1/307 to international
trading currency, their exports are not less than imports, not all of them have been security states and
have not experimented themselves with various governing and economic systems, which combine into
minimizing state capabilities to bear burden of its population. Application of such an idea to Pakistan is
same as ignoring all ground realities. Therefore it can be safely established that huge population has
proved a catastrophe for Pakistan.
 To begin with; water scarcity has erupted from gigantic population of Pakistan. Water scarcity
means per capita water availability to population. In 1975, per capita water availability was 5000 which
is less than 1000 currently. According to Pakistan Institute of Developing Economic (PIDE), it is a
possibility that Pakistan might become a water scarce country till 2025. It has also pointed out that to
meet the demands of population, underground water sources has been severely exploited.
Furthermore, United Nation Environmental Program (UNDP) has put Pakistan into the list of 14
countries that are water scarce such as Saudi Arabia. It also claims that half of the population face water
shortage for one month in a year. Therefore, it can be established that the population growth has
crossed environmental capacity and huge population has turned out disastrous for Pakistan. jeopa

Similarly; various natural disasters had shown that how Pakistan is unable to provide emergency
response to its enormous population. Natural disaster means any kind of emergency situation cause by
inevitable natural phenomena; earth quakes, floods etc. Pakistan, a disaster prone country, minor major
floods keep happening almost every year while 2022 flood was ‘once in 1000 year flood’. It is evident
from the data available on National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) website that Pakistan since
its inception had faced many such catastrophic events. Recent events had validated the claim even
more. Emergency response institutions almost every time had been unable to coup properly with the
situation resulting in loss of precious lives. Therefore, it can be said that the number of people in
Pakistan is way more than the ability of state and what it can provide in time of emergency.

In addition; the percentage of people living below poverty line or on the verge of this line shows that
how unleashed population growth has turned out nightmare for Pakistan. People living below poverty
line means their earning is less that 2 Dollar per day. Around 27% of Pakistan’s population is living below
poverty line. In addition, current prices hike on petroleum items and other groceries has threaten to
increase this percentage. Furthermore, recent protests against hike of electricity bills shows that
another tremendous portion of population is on the verge of this line. It is proof that gigantic population
is a total misfortune resulting into inability of provision of basic necessities to its vast portion of
population by state.

On the contrary; those who think huge population is a blessing,

claimed that it can benefit state. Gigantic population can lead to
increase in demand resulting in more production. It is valid point but
not in context of Pakistan. Pakistan per acre production is term of
wheat and corn is less than China, India and Bangladesh. Pakistan
currency stand 1/307 to international trading currency. These factors
sum up into increase in import to meet the demand while currency
value getting lower day by day. In short it can be said that these
capitalist view is not suitable for Pakistan and its huge population
causing more and more failure by state in its promises every passing
day.