Pakistan army chief field marshal Asim Munir is now expected to play a role in steering the country’s population control efforts, adding another responsibility to his expanding portfolio, according to a report by Dawn.
The minister confirmed that responsibility had been devolved to the provinces, while representatives of the Ministry of Law said Parliament could not legislate on matters exclusively assigned to provincial governments.
He has been inducted into a high-level committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address the issue, according to a report in Dawn. “The government is treating this issue with the highest priority and important policy decisions are being taken at every level,” the minister told lawmakers, according to Dawn. Kamal said population management would require both government intervention and public participation. The senate committee directed the ministry of law, religious scholars and relevant parliamentary committees to hold consultations to develop a consensus-based strategy on population management, according to Dawn.
Already functioning as Pakistan’s de facto power centre, Munir has increasingly moved beyond his traditional role of commanding the armed forces to play a prominent part in shaping Islamabad’s foreign policy and strategic decision-making. Pakistan has long relied on its military and top generals to take on responsibilities extending well beyond defence, with the armed forces playing an influential role in governance, diplomacy and policymaking. The disclosure was made by Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal during a joint meeting of two Senate committees discussing population policy and human rights.
Addressing the joint meeting of the senate standing committee on national health services and the senate functional committee on human rights on Thursday, Kamal said the prime minister had convened several high-level meetings on population management.