ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday warned that unmanaged population growth could undermine the country’s economic progress, urging stakeholders to implement actionable measures.
Read More: Pakistan population summit highlights urgent growth challenges
Speaking at the Pakistan Population Summit-2025, he said real GDP growth alone would not unlock Pakistan’s potential unless population pressures were addressed effectively.
‘Ticking time bomb’: Leaders, experts at Pakistan Population Summit call for urgent govt action to tackle rapid growth https://t.co/z0lOrZaOly
— Maleeha Lodhi (@LodhiMaleeha) December 1, 2025
The minister highlighted Pakistan’s two “existential issues” – climate change and population – as key challenges to long-term economic growth. He stressed that while policy frameworks exist, the focus must now shift to execution and mainstreaming population concerns into fiscal planning and national budgeting processes.
Citing a World Bank study projecting Pakistan as a $3 trillion economy by 2047, Aurangzeb emphasized that confronting population and climate challenges is crucial to realizing this potential. He noted that sectoral leadership by ministries of Climate Change, Health, and Population Welfare must be complemented by financial planning to ensure sustainable solutions.
At the @dawn_com Population Summit today, talked about family planning and implications for the NFC.
Hard to trust the numbers because if the election figures can be fudged and economic figures can be fudged, who is going to trust the census numbers?
However, the solutions are… pic.twitter.com/JXeXqvTMtn
— Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) December 1, 2025
Aurangzeb also welcomed the support of religious scholars in promoting family planning, highlighting that measures to control population growth do not conflict with religious teachings. He referenced Mufti Usmani’s fatwa clarifying that family planning is permissible under Islamic law, urging policymakers to move beyond hesitation.
BREAKING:
Pakistan experts warned that rapid population growth is a “ticking time bomb” affecting jobs, health, education, and the economy. pic.twitter.com/WOksgDYtc5
— Faisal khan (@annadee96) December 2, 2025
The minister warned that both climate shocks and unchecked population growth already impose heavy economic costs. He cited recent flooding as a factor likely to reduce GDP growth by 0.5 percent and stressed that population pressures could similarly act as a dampener.
Read More: Pakistan’s Future and Population Growth
He further linked the issue to Pakistan’s rising global participation in digital finance, noting the country ranks third in crypto adoption. Aurangzeb underscored the importance of a regulated framework through the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority to allow youth participation in a safe and structured manner.