We don't believe that the first child should be delayed. It is after this first child is born that we want this spacing. When the woman goes to the doctor for her first child, we want to catch her there. But only 55 percent of all Pakistanis, three-fourths of whom live in the rural areas, have access to a doctor or clinic. Only 35 percent of Pakistani women are attended to by a health worker when giving birth.
Abortion exists, even though it is technically illegal.
We are opposed to abortion as a means of contraception and family planning. We only approve of abortion when the life of the mother is in imminent danger. In that situation we believe it is better to save the life of a mother than that of an unborn fetus. Pakistan is one of several countries, including Bangladesh and Iran, which compromised this week on their stand on section 8.25 of the draft programme, which deals with abortion. But they remain rigidly opposed to educating young people about contraception.