AJK Observes World Population Day With Renewed Pledge

Like rest of the world, World Population Day was also observed in Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday, with the renewal of the pledge to perform individual and collective role to discourage the future negative impacts of the increased population in the country including Azad Jammu Kashmir

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jul, 2019 ) : Like rest of the world, World Population Day was also observed in Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday, with the renewal of the pledge to perform individual and collective role to discourage the future negative impacts of the increased population in the country including Azad Jammu Kashmir.

Besides the prime objective of observing the population day to raise awareness amount the masses about maintaining dignity honour and empowerment of women and health of mother and child for encouraging the emergency of a health and prosperous society.

"Family planning is a fundamental right and availability of contraceptive to all segments of society", experts said while addressing participants of a walk hosted by the District office of the State Population Welfare department here to mark the day.

Special ceremonies including, walks seminars and symposiums were the hallmark of the day that observed throughout Azad Jammu Kashmir as well side by side the rest of the world. The World Population Day is observed this day of July 11 every year the world over in the light of the charter under the manifesto of the United Nations to highlight the drastic effects of the increased population besides for the due role of the governments and the society for flourishing prosperous and healthy population with delivery due amenities of life.

The day was marked with special ceremonies held under the auspices of the Population Welfare Department of Azad Jammu & Kashmir government led by the sitting Secretary to the government Raja Muhammad Razaq Khan, in all ten districts of AJK with the resolve to maintain due care of mother and child through ensuring brief family with prime focus to overcome the threats of rapidly-increased population in the country including AJK.

World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, an outgrowth of the interest generated by the Day of Five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

This year's World Population Day calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.

Twenty-five years have passed since that landmark conference, where 179 governments recognized that reproductive health and gender equality are essential for achieving sustainable development.

On World Population Day, advocates from around the world are calling on leaders, policymakers, grassroots organizers, institutions and others to help make reproductive health and rights a reality for all.

In Mirpur, a grand walk to mark the world population day was held to mark the day. District Population Welfare Officer Kamran Hussain, Deputy Medical Superintendent DHQ Hospital Dr. Azeem Ratayal, Incharge RHSCA Dr. Aaliya Imtiaz, Incharge MSU Dr. Amira Butt and the senior staffers of the local population welfare department office led the walk which passed through the city streets. A large number of people belonging to various segments of the society including social workers, journalists, doctors, para medical staff and others participated.

Speakers underlined that the importance of the role of all sections of the society and the concerned state run institutions to perform their due role for raising awareness among the people about education and empowerment of women, health and balance between increased population and resources.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ant�nio Guterres said in his message of World Population Day on Thursday "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the world's blueprint for a better future for all on a healthy planet. On World Population Day, we recognize that this mission is closely interrelated with demographic trends including population growth, ageing, migration and urbanization."APP / AHR.