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PM TO HEAD NATIONAL POPULATION COUNCIL AS GOVT MOVES TO TACKLE POPULATION GROWTH Wednesday, 1 July, 2026 | 15 Muharram, 1448
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PM CALLS FOR URGENT POPULATION REFORMS TO SAFEGUARD SUSTAINABLE GROWTH PM LINKS POPULATION PLANNING TO PAKISTAN'S ECONOMIC FUTURE
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 96 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
SHEHBAZ ORDERS EARLY MEETING OF NATIONAL POPULATION COUNCIL
FAMILY PLANNING, WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT TO ANCHOR NEW STRATEGY
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Ahsan flags unsustainable population growth ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
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ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday underscored the need to align population planning with national development and economic priorities, warning that rapid population growth was placing mounting pressure on the country's resources and hindering sustainable progress. Chairing a high-level meeting on population welfare, the prime minister said maintaining a balance between population growth and available resources was essential for ensuring long-term economic stability and improving the quality of human resources. He directed authorities to convene the inaugural meeting of the National Population Council at the earliest and or-
dered the immediate finalisation of its organisational structure to enable effective policymaking on population issues. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and senior government officials. The prime minister announced that he would personally chair the National Population Council, which will comprise the chief ministers of all four provinces, the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister of GilgitBaltistan and other key stakeholders. Participants were briefed on Pakistan's demographic trends and ongo-
India's IWT move threatens global legal order, regional peace: Experts ISLAMABAD
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Political leaders, international legal experts and policy analysts on Tuesday strongly condemned India's unilateral decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, warning that the move undermines international law, threatens regional stability and risks escalating tensions in South Asia. Speaking at an international seminar titled "Indus Waters Treaty: An Instrument of Peace and Regional Stability," participants described the 1960 treaty as a legally binding international agreement that cannot be suspended or revoked unilaterally. The seminar, jointly organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, brought together federal ministers, diplomats and international experts, who argued that India's suspension of hydrological data sharing and treaty-mandated inspections amounted to the weaponisation of water and posed a serious threat to the livelihoods of more than 240 million Pakistanis. The speakers noted that more than 80 per cent of Pakistan's cultivated land depends on the Indus river system, making uninterrupted data sharing, predictability and treaty compliance essential for food security, disaster preparedness and sustainable water management. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said New Delhi's decision to place the treaty in abeyance had undermined the international legal order and heightened the risk of conflict in the region. He urged the international community to view transboundary rivers as instruments of cooperation rather than confrontation, recalling that Pakistan accepted significant concessions while signing the treaty in the interest of long-term regional stability.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that rapid population growth continued to pose Pakistan’s most serious structural challenge, warning that it was weakening the country’s economic gains and slowing progress in human development. He made the remarks at the launch of a book titled Impact of Population Growth on Human Security in Pakistan, which is based on a study by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI). According to the minister, Pakistan would find it difficult to secure sustainable development and raise living standards if it failed to bring population growth under control. Iqbal said the country presented a troubling contrast in its development pattern, with economic indicators near-
ing efforts to strengthen population welfare initiatives. Officials informed the meeting that the government planned to integrate family planning initiatives with social protection programmes, while placing women's education and economic empowerment at the centre of the national population strategy. The meeting was also told that a nationwide public awareness campaign would be launched to promote balanced population growth and encour-
ing those of middle-income states while social indicators remained comparable to those of least developed countries. He said the imbalance had to be addressed for Pakistan to move ahead and identified fast population growth as a central factor behind the gap. Referring to official trends, the minister said Pakistan had earlier brought its population growth rate down from 3.4 per cent in 1990 to 2.4 per cent by 2017, but the most recent census showed that the rate had risen again to 2.55 per cent. Speaking about the implications of that trend, Iqbal said countries that achieved lasting development had reduced their population growth rates to about 1 to 1.5 per cent or below. He argued that strong economic performance could lose much of its effect when population growth remained high.
age family planning. During the briefing, officials cited the experiences of Bangladesh, Indonesia and Iran as successful examples of population management programmes. It was further informed that the National Population Council, working closely with provincial governments, would oversee the implementation of a coordinated nationwide population welfare campaign, while the Council's Secretariat would be established in the Ministry of Planning.
Pakistan vows response to any attempt to block water flow ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said Pakistan is fully prepared to respond to any attempt to stop the country’s water flow, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty. Speaking at an international seminar on the treaty in Islamabad, Tarar said the use of water as a weapon would threaten regional peace and stability, describing the agreement as one of the world’s longest-running watersharing accords. He said the treaty is vital for Pakistan’s agriculture, economy and millions of people who depend on the Indus River system, adding that the country would safeguard its water rights under all circumstances. The minister stressed that any amendment to the treaty could only be made through mutual agreement and criticised unilateral actions affecting its implementation. Pakistan’s Commissioner for the Indus Waters Treaty, Syed Mehr Ali Shah, said India had not been fully implementing certain treaty provisions since August 2023 and alleged that water diversion from the Chenab River was inconsistent with the agreement. He added that Pakistan had recently written to India seeking the sharing of data in accordance with the treaty.
Pakistan urges UNSC to press Israel on settlements in occupied Palestinian territory UNITED NATIONS
Any attempt to deny Pakistan's water rights to threaten regional peace: Dar ISLAMABAD
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday declared that Pakistan would defend its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) through all available legal and diplomatic means, warning that any attempt to deprive the country of its allocated share of water would have farreaching consequences for regional peace and security. Addressing the International Seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty 2026 at the Jinnah Convention Centre, Dar described water as the foundation of human dignity, food security, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability, saying the Indus River system had sustained civilizations for thousands of years and must remain a source of cooperation rather than conflict. He said transboundary rivers should unite nations through collaboration, a principle firmly rooted in international law, and recalled that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, established a durable legal framework for sharing the waters of the Indus Basin. Dar noted that while India received unrestricted use of the three eastern rivers, Pakistan was allocated the three western rivers, with India permitted only limited use under
clearly defined treaty provisions. He said Pakistan had undertaken extensive restructuring of its irrigation and water management systems in reliance on the permanence of the treaty, despite making significant sacrifices after losing access to the eastern rivers. "For more than six decades, including periods of war and political tensions, Pakistan honoured the Treaty in both letter and spirit because it believed international agreements would be respected in good faith," he said. The deputy prime minister termed India's decision to place the treaty in abeyance "illegal, unilateral and without any basis" in either the treaty or international law, reiterating that the agreement remained valid, binding and fully operational. "No party can unilaterally suspend or terminate obligations under a treaty that contains no such provision," he said, adding that the principle reflected the fundamental rule of international law requiring treaties to be implemented in good faith. Referring to proceedings before the Court of Arbitration constituted under the treaty, Dar said the tribunal had reaffirmed that the IWT established a permanent legal regime governing the rights and obligations of both countries over the Indus Basin and could not be suspended or terminated unilaterally.
He warned that disregarding binding international agreements whenever they became politically inconvenient would erode confidence in the international legal order and undermine peaceful relations between states. Expressing concern over developments since April 2025, Dar alleged that Pakistan had witnessed abrupt fluctuations in the flows of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, alongside continued efforts to expand infrastructure capable of regulating waters allocated to Pakistan. He stressed that all disputes should be resolved strictly through the mechanisms provided under the treaty rather than through unilateral actions. Describing water as the lifeline of more than 250 million Pakistanis, Dar said Pakistan's agriculture, energy production, food security and economic development depended on the uninterrupted flow of the western rivers. "We sincerely advise India against sowing the seeds of war and jeopardising peace and security in the region," he said, reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue, diplomacy and treaty-based mechanisms. At the same time, Dar cautioned that Pakistan's resolve to protect its water rights should not be underestimated.
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Tuesday called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to push for an end to the Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), saying, “the ultimate goal is the end of Israeli occupation of the OPT". "The establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds and Al-Sharif as its capital, remains the only guarantee for lasting peace in the region," said Ahmad while addressing the UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including Palestine. "It is time for the Security Council to undertake a holistic assessment of the situation across all of the occupied Palestinian territory and firmly tackle the obstacles to peace. First, the council must compel Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law," he said."Second, all attempts at annexation of land, demolitions, forced evictions, and displacements of Palestinians must be halted and reversed. The Palestinian population must be protected from settler violence, and all perpetrators must be fully held to account. The council must reiterate its firm rejection of forced displacement," said the ambassador. "Third, the council must bring pressure to bear on Israel, the occupying power to release without further delay the revenues of the Palestinian Authority to address the mounting fiscal crisis. Fourth, the comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict and resolution 2803 must be fully implemented", he added. Referring to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Ahmad said, "In Gaza, while the Board of Peace has overseen improvements in humanitarian conditions, the situation remains dire. Widespread hunger, severe shortages of clean water and medical care, inadequate sanitation, and the unchecked spread of disease have left more than 90 per cent of the population living in catastrophic conditions. "Despite the ceasefire, 981 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed. The recent report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry is a scathing indictment of the deliberate targeting and killing of Palestinian children by the Israeli occupation forces. There must be accountability for this", he said.
Iran says officials to meet Qatari mediators in Doha today, rules out direct talks with US TEHRAN
REUTERS
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that Iran would meet Qatari mediators in Doha today to discuss implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, while ruling out direct talks with the US. Baghaei said the Doha discussions would focus on implementing clauses of the memorandum, according to the country’s official broadcaster IRIB. “What will be done in Doha tomorrow (Wednesday) is a discussion about the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side,” Baghaei said. He stressed that Tehran had no plans to meet the American side in the coming days. “Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the
next few days,” he said. His remarks came after Qatar said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Doha to meet mediators and discuss the progress of negotiations with Iran. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the transfer of $6 billion out of $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds “will be agreed upon by the US and Iran,” confirming that the funds had not yet been transferred to Tehran. The issue of frozen funds “is linked to the progress of negotiations between Washington and Tehran,” he added. US envoy Witkoff and Kushner will be in Qatar, no meeting with Iran, Qatari official says US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will be in Doha to meet Qatari mediators to discuss US-Iran negotiations, but there will not be a high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. Additionally, the FM spokesperson stated
that $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not been transferred to Iran, as they are subject to the 2023 agreement and earmarked for the purchase of humanitarian goods. The spokesperson said that Qatar is coordinating with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz and the safe passage of vessels. A direct line of communication for de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz has been used to contain confrontations over the past few days. Responsibility for Hormuz demining primarily with Iran: Oman FM According to Oman's Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi told France’s Monte Carlo Doualiya radio that “responsibility for ensuring the strait and internationally recognised shipping lanes are free of any mine-related hazards primarily rests with Iran” as per the US-Iran MoU, as per Al Jazeera. He also affirmed Oman’s openness to contributing to regional and international efforts whenever requested. His comments come after Iranian outcry over the French
president's statement on collaborating with Oman to demine the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said it alone has the responsibility for such operations in the waterway. Meeting with Iran this week 'perhaps' important: Trump US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that, "The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We're going to find out." At the same time he maintained "we're winning militarily" and repeated his condition that Iran must be stopped from producing a nuclear weapon. Iranian and US negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war. Trump is sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiating team, according to his press secretary Karoline Leavitt. While Iran is sending its technical delegation to Qatar this week, For-
eign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said this had "no relation" to the Americans' visit and no talks between the two sides were scheduled. "We will not have any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days," Baghaei said. The disagreement over whether the sides would even meet underscored the fragility of a June 17 accord to pause a conflict that has disrupted global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and created a political headache for Trump ahead of November's congressional elections. The US and Iran gave themselves at least 60 days to implement the 14-point memorandum of understanding to extend an April ceasefire, discuss Iran's nuclear program and negotiate a permanent truce. But progress has been halting, with each side accusing the other of violating agreed terms. After the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint that previously carried about a fifth of the global oil trade, came to a virtual standstill.