The first meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Population Council (NPC) was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, with the participation of the Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Government of Balochistan. The forum reviewed the draft National Health and Population Policy, National Population Stabilization Program and proposed provincial governance structures, emphasizing coordinated implementation, population stabilization and effective monitoring.
The first meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Population Council (NPC) was held today in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, with the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination as co-chair. The Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Government of Balochistan, attended the meeting as a member of the Committee, along with the Secretary Health Department and Secretary Population Welfare Department from Quetta.
The meeting commenced with a presentation by the Member (Population), Planning Commission, highlighting key population and development statistics, Pakistan’s population growth trends and its position at the international level. The presentation also outlined the role and mandate of the National Population Council and its Executive Committee, particularly in coordinating cross-sectoral actions, translating national policies into actionable targets, engaging provincial and regional governments, developing standardized progress-reporting dashboards and addressing operational issues among stakeholders.
The Committee took up the draft National Health and Population Policy (NH&PP) as its first agenda item. A representative of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination presented the policy’s key features and structural framework. The Committee considered the policy in the light of the directions of the Prime Minister’s Office, including the proposed route for its endorsement and approval.
The meeting also reviewed the National Population Stabilization Program (NPSP), prepared by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. The programme’s key features and implementation framework were presented, with emphasis on provincial and regional engagement. The agenda highlighted the need for provinces and regions to review the programme, provide their comments and feedback, and develop costed implementation plans with agreed results and targets for monitoring by the National Population Council.
Another key agenda item concerned the establishment and notification of corresponding governance structures at the provincial and regional levels, including Provincial Population Councils and Provincial Executive Committees. The proposed arrangements envisage Provincial Population Councils under the chairmanship of the respective Chief Ministers, while Provincial Executive Committees are to be chaired by the respective Chairmen/Additional Chief Secretaries of Planning & Development Departments and co-chaired by the Secretaries of Health Departments. These structures are intended to translate national population targets into provincial implementation commitments, covering targets, financing and service-delivery plans, and to facilitate regular reporting through a common progress tracker.
The meeting concluded with closing remarks and a discussion on the way forward, underscoring the importance of coordinated federal, provincial and regional efforts, institutional mechanisms and reliable data systems for advancing the national population agenda.