Daily Times

The land of the pure, our country, is bustling and bulging with a terrifically increasing human population at a time when sources are inversely depleting. In four years, we have reached 240 million figures without ever planning the future of such a massive number of mouths to be fed. In the miseries of otherwise life patterns in Pakistan, we seemingly ignore this unplanned increase in the population bulge. Due to this colossal population increase, the nation is experiencing constraints in sending millions of children to schools for education and training. This is going to create only the unskilled youth seeking job opportunities of the kind which will serve the nation in no way. The political and otherwise power corridors are never heard to be worried about this bulge or any plans to control or put it to helpful employment.

At this moment, we may have more significant matters on our hands calling for urgency, at a few urgent steps may be taken to put the ever-growing number of human beings in our country. Look at the markets, gathering places, Colonies, playgrounds, schools, colleges, and universities; one can witness everywhere filled to the full of human beings. In an age when population increase has entered a downward spiral, we are still making its horse run faster than ever. This extraordinary increase creates social and political unrest in the country because people are apprehensive about their future. They are seeking visas from other countries to secure their future. But unskilled and untrained youth have only low-level opportunities in rich foreign lands also.

In an age when population increase has entered a downward spiral, we are still making its horse run faster than ever.

The most urgent matter will be to provide jobs to this rapidly expanding number which calls for short, relevant, and state-of-the-art planning in the most wanted areas of business and economic life. This area is IT, where marvels are happening, and the nations which equip themselves today with artificial intelligence tools are expected to rule the rooster. Universities must launch future-oriented IT plans and programs to compete with the world and provide for the sustenance of the next generation. On parallel grounds, the government must develop IT-related infrastructure to face the world’s competing and rapidly evolving nations. All irrelevant, non-professional, and technical courses may be suspended for the time being, and the resources saved should be allocated to teaching highly technical and futuristically professional skills and practices. More emphasis must be given to learning and practical skills than ornamental ones.

The second most relevant area is the modernization of our agricultural sector. We are an agrarian economy, so a boost in the growth, maintenance, and preservation of Agricultural products can go a long way in feeding the local mouths and becoming a world food basket. This is possible only with genuine research and the adaptation of modern tools for farming and harvesting. This is the area where plenty of Job opportunities can be provided. Especially if the revolutionary step of collective agriculture is adopted through world-renowned Agri-related companies, this will increase production and substantial job opportunities. The same approach must be introduced in marketing our Agri-based products to earn foreign exchange. Many individuals may be trained for this by launching business and commerce-related university projects. Furthermore, not only the quantity but also the quality of the food production needs to be brought to the utmost level to make them readily acceptable by the world’s wealthy nations. Lucrative jobs can lure our young people into receiving training in this marketing area and hence utilizing Pakistan’s potential in full.

The energy sector will also hold a future for employment and job opportunities. Pakistan must invest heavily in efficient solar energy and water-based systems because these would generate pollution-free energy for industry and homes. The cheaper the power, the lower the production cost to meet the competitive prices at the world level. Today, foreign investment is also being attracted by the countries managing cheaper and more renewable energy sources. This step can go a long way in creating a befitting environment for our upcoming colossal population. Energy production, conservation, and maintenance are other areas where substantial job opportunities can be made for the benefit of the upcoming youth.

But the essential way out is to plan population increase, control, and manage. When sources are scarce or depleting and want is higher, only ab effective and reality-based ground planning can save the nation. This would also be helpful at the sociopolitical level because a well-engaged population turns the country to progress rather than a free and idle population bent upon seeking, making, or providing themselves through negative means. Besides this, more incentives may be offered to families who can maintain a standard size of the family fixed by the state. The incentives can be tax holidays, stipends, and free education, and similarly, families with a more extensive number may be forced to do community service for some time as a type of discouraging intervention for the other people. This experiment has been a successful measure of family planning in many of the countries of the world.

The writer is a professor of English at Government Emerson University, Multan. He can be reached at zeadogar@hotmail.com and Tweets at @Profzee