Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Tuesday said controlling the country’s growing population was the highest priority after the construction of water reservoirs to improve Pakistan’s water security. “After dams, population control is the biggest priority,” the chief justice said during hearing of a case regarding population control. He said the country’s water requirements have increased manifold due to its ballooning population, adding that water crisis will further aggravate if population is not controlled. The additional attorney general informed the court that nine recommendations have been prepared on the matter. One such recommendation forwarded earlier was the formation of a federal and provincial task force by December 31, he said, and added that another recommendation concerned family planning. “Pakistan needs to control population growth to become high middle-income country. Bangladesh and Iran have also controlled their population despite being Islamic countries,” the chief justice stated. Former Punjab governor Latif Khosa recommended that awareness regarding population control must be spread from the religious point of view. The court said the government should get the recommendations approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and call a meeting within 10 days on the matter. He stated that all provincial chief ministers will be issued a notice at the next hearing. Published in Daily Times, October 31st 2018.