The Population Program was launched in 1965 through Family Planning Council in the Centre and through Family Planning Boards in the Provinces. The Program was federalized in 1977.

In 1981, an Ordinance titled "Population Welfare Planning Program (Appointment & Termination of Service) Ordinance, 1981" was promulgated. Under Section 3 & 4 of the Ordinance, the services of the employees in BS-16 and above were regularized through Federal Public Services Commission (FPSC) and those in BS-1 to 15 through the respective Department Selection Committees.

In 1983, the field activities of the Population Program were transferred to the Provinces under the provisions of the Transfer of Population Welfare Program (Field Activities) Ordinance, 1983. The employees recruited by the Provinces were transferred to their respective Provincial Population Welfare Departments under Section-8 of Ordinance, 1983 and they were presumed to be employees of the Population Welfare Departments of the Provinces.

In 1983, however, the Supreme Court of Pakistan vide judgment in Civil Appeals Nos.292, 293/1991 dated 19-1-1993 declared the status of the program employees whose services were regularized under Ordinance, 1981 and subsequently transferred to the Provinces under the provisions of Ordinance, 1983 as the "Civil Servants of the Federal Government".

Meanwhile, on July 25, 2001 an Ordinance on "Transfer of Population Welfare Program (Field Activities) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2001" was promulgated, inter-alia, declaring all Population Program personnels working in four Provinces as Civil Servants of the respective Provincial Governments. All these employees working in Provincial Population Welfare Departments are now being governed by the rules and regulations made under the provincial laws relating to their Civil Servants.

At the Federal Level, Population Welfare Division was created in March 1968. It got the status of a full fledged Ministry of Population Welfare on 27th June, 1990.

The overall execution and entire funding of the Program is the responsibility of the Federal Government. The Ministry of Population Welfare, is the main executing agency of the national program while implementation of field activities is the responsibility of the Population Welfare Departments in each of the four Provinces, headed by a Secretary.