7 Billion and Me!

By the end of this month, the population will hit a 7 billion mark. Where does Pakistan stand in all this?
Pakistan's population in 1947 was 32.5 million which is now 180 million by 2011. In 1940, Pakistan was the 13th. largest country in terms of population but in 2011 it is ranked as the 6th largest. Pakistan has one of the highest birth rates in the world. The situation is like trying to fit an elephant in a room.

According to a UN report, 1000 women die in childbirth everyday in Pakistan at a rate of 1 woman every 90 minutes.

Almost every country in the world and all the major news agencies are featuring Pakistan when the world will turn 7 billion. Below is report by Al-Jazeera featuring one woman in South Punjab who is the mother and grandmother of 40 offsprings.

A country which is officially called the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan" is synonamous with North Korea that sends a message of being the "most democratic country" just because officially the name says - Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In Pakistan, Islam is hijacked and many a times I was asked by fellow students from muslim countries that they could NOT identify with the Islam of Pakistan, particularly, of violence and radicalism that is ingrained in the society. Our brother and sister muslim countries are highly suspicious of the events unfolding here on daily basis (though their track record isn't spotless). It is NOT the goverenment that has to be blamed solely( which is obviously a gang of thugs - who are an outcome of selection and not election) but people at large who are are fine with silence on violence.

Long story short, Islam is a religion of logic and I fail to understand that where children are considered as a gift of God, how come people do NOT realize, that their children are deprived of basic amenities such as health, education, enough food to eat and clean water to drink? How can they think of adding a new member in their poor households? Once I asked our domestic help that she should not make her under-age children put to work - they must be at school instead (and we can support it fully ) - she was upset and protested on that idea. When these children are born - they are seen as the potential heads to earn money at young ages (though meagre) and nothing else of course -  not a blessing or a gift of God but a source of income for them.