Army chief joins National Population Council as govt launches new body

ISLAMABAD: The government has officially established the National Population Council (NPC) to formulate policies aimed at curbing rapid population growth and achieving demographic stability.

According to an official notification, the council will be headed by the prime minister as chairman and include the chief ministers of all four provinces, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the army chief as members.

The ministers for planning, finance, national health services, education, law and justice, information, and religious affairs will also serve on the council.

The NPC will meet at least twice a year to review national and provincial indicators related to population growth and stabilisation. The Ministry of Planning will serve as the council’s permanent secretariat, managing its agenda and monitoring progress through digital dashboards.

The council will also lead national engagement with religious scholars, civil society organisations and the private sector to build public support for family planning initiatives. In addition, it will oversee the implementation of the National Population Stabilisation Programme and address intergovernmental bottlenecks related to financing, supply chains and data.