Pakistan's military-led population initiative undermines state institutions: Report
Athens, Aug 1
Pakistan's repeated reliance on the security apparatus has "crowded out" civilian capacity building and created an expectation that uniformed leadership can resolve every challenge - from foreign policy and economic management to demographic issues, a report has stated.
It argued that Islamabad's longstanding dependence on military-led structures to address domestic challenges has delivered temporary control but failed to bring lasting change, whether in counterterrorism, counterinsurgency or crisis management.
The current population management initiative involving Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir risks repeating these failures across society on a wider scale, according to a report in Greek media outlet 'News Bomb'.
Questioning the effectiveness of a military-led approach to demographic management, the report said, "A committee anchored around a Field Marshal may be able to push bureaucracies into compliance, compile metrics and enforce targets, yet it cannot manufacture community trust or shift deeply embedded norms about family size and reproductive health. Rather than empowering local governments, health workers, educators and women's organisations, this model centralises authority at the federal and military level and depends on hierarchy instead of participation."
"The more the military is seen to own demographic policy, the easier it becomes for sceptical groups to portray population control as an elite security project rather than a development necessity. In a context where civil-military relations are already contested and where many citizens view the security establishment as overbearing, this association may erode the social buy-in critical for any large-scale behavioural change," it added.
According to the report, demographic challenges cannot be addressed like a border crisis; they require persuasion, incentives, rights-based policies, and reliable public service delivery.
"Another nuance is institutional crowding out when the government publicly advertises that it has failed to control population growth for three years and now turns to a Field Marshal; it implicitly signals that civilian ministries are inadequate and that ultimate problem-solving authority lies with the khaki leadership. This discourages investment in health governance planning capacity and local administration while reinforcing a dependence on military tutelage for non-military issues," it detailed.
The report noted that these trends gradually erode the institutions essential for sustainable social policy, including long-term demographic management. It added that demographic pressures are closely intertwined with economic strain, climate vulnerability and rapid urbanisation-challenges that cannot be addressed through command channels alone.
"Given Pakistan's record of securitising social issues and the complex drivers of fertility trends, the present approach is likely to generate more symbolic reassurance than substantive change. It allows the political leadership to claim decisive action by invoking the highest military authority, yet it does not answer how to reshape incentives for families, improve women's access to education and employment or build a robust primary health system," it mentioned.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The report hits the nail on the head. In India too, we see the temptation to centralize and militarize, but we've learned that population programs work best when they're community-led. Remember our own family planning campaigns? They succeeded because of local health workers (ASHA didis) and grassroots NGOs, not because of any army general. Pakistan's approach will only breed more distrust and resistance. They need to invest in their people, not in khaki uniforms.
Every time Pakistan faces a crisis, they hand it to the military. First terrorism, now population control. 😑 It's like watching a broken record. The report is correct—you can't force social change through hierarchy. What they need is to empower their provincial governments, educate their women, and build a proper health system. Otherwise, this will just become another symbolic initiative that looks good on paper but fails on the ground. And as a neighbor, we feel the consequences of their instability too.
I agree with the report's point about institutional crowding out. When the government says "we can't do it, so we're calling the army," it basically admits civilian institutions are failures. That's a dangerous precedent. In India, we've had our own debates about this, but our democratic framework ensures that health and social policies remain with civil experts. Pakistan's approach might bring short-term compliance, but long-term it will deepen the trust deficit between the state and its citizens. They need persuasion, not force.
As someone who's worked on development projects in South Asia, I find this report's analysis spot-on. Population management is a sensitive, deeply social issue. You cannot solve it through command-and-control tactics. The Pakistani military's involvement in health and family planning will likely backfire, especially among conservative communities who already view the state with suspicion. What they need is a decentralized, participative approach that builds trust—something the report rightly emphasizes.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.