ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has decided to move a summary before the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to complete a nationwide census next year, for the 2023 election be demarcated on the basis of its results, local media reported on Saturday.
The results of the last census held in 2017 attracted much criticism, especially in Karachi and the whole of Sindh province, following reports that millions of the region’s residents were not counted and not taken into account in the allocation and demarcation of constituencies in the 2018 general election.
Although the census is supposed to be held at 10-year intervals, the government has committed to holding the next population census before the 2023 election.
Dr. Naeem Ul Zafar, chief statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), on Friday gave an elaborate briefing to the Planning Minister Asad Umar during the third progress review meeting on the 7th Population and Housing Census 2022, titled “The Digital Census,” in Islamabad.
“A detailed presentation was given on the census work plan and progress. It was informed that the PBS is strictly following the timelines and so far on track to provide the data in December 2022 for provision to the Election Commission for delimitation process for general election 2023,” read a statement issued after the meeting.
An official from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (R) marks a house after collecting information from a resident as Pakistani soldiers stand guard during the second phase of the national census in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 25, 2017. (AFP/File)
The 2022 census questionnaire has been finalized by the committee and the summary for the execution of the census along with the work plan has been forwarded. After approval of the population census by the CCI, the government would notify the chief census commissioner and the provinces would notify their respective provincial census commissioners, English-language daily The News reported.
Army’s help will be sought and approximately 250,000 armed forces personnel will be deployed all over Pakistan to ensure security of the upcoming census. The upcoming census would be conducted on a de-jure basis and every individual would be counted where they were living in the last six months, according to the report.
The next population census will be compiled on computer tablets, for which the government plans to procure an estimated 100,000 devices. Some 600,000 enumerators from education, health, and local government departments will be deputed to fill the questionnaire of population census in detail.
