11 June,2017 11:22 AM IST | Bannu | Agencies
Three men who have fathered nearly 100 children among them are doing their bit for Pakistan's skyrocketing population, which is being counted for the first time in 19 years
Gulzar Khan (57) with his 36 children from his three wives. Pics/AFP
Three men who have fathered nearly 100 children among them are doing their bit for Pakistan's skyrocketing population, which is being counted for the first time in 19 years.
But in a country where experts warn the surging populace is gouging into hard-won economic gains and social services, the three patriarchs are unconcerned. Allah, they say, will provide.
Mastan Khan Wazir (70) has 22 children from his three wives
"God has created the entire universe and all human beings, so why should I stop the natural process of a baby's birth?" asks Gulzar Khan (57), a father of 36, citing one of the strongest influences in the region: the belief that Islam prevents family planning.
Tribal enmity is another factor in the northwest, where the 57-year-old lives in the city of Bannu with his third wife, who is pregnant. "We wanted to be stronger," the 57-year-old said, surrounded by 23 of his offspring - so many, he observes, they don't need friends to play a full cricket match.
Khan's brother, Mastan Khan Wazir - one of his 15 siblings - also has three wives. So far, Wazir has only fathered 22 children.
Jan Mohammed - father of 38 children - voiced his desire for a fourth wife as he continues his mission of having 100 children. No woman has yet agreed, he says, but he has not given up.
