The writer is country director, Population Council, Islamabad.
ON July 1, Prime Minister Imran Khan absented himself from a high-level national security briefing to address an even more crucial threat facing Pakistan — food insecurity. On some level, it was heartening to see the prime minister focusing on a looming national concern. While focusing on how to improve agricultural yields, he also raised the challenge of providing food to our large population. Disappointingly, however, he did not follow through to talk about population itself, such as the numbers of people without education and paid work, the rapid rate at which people are outstripping natural resources and work opportunities, and urbanisation.