By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday granted a 15-day extension to the country’s first digital population census to complete and rectify anomalous data, following consultations with political parties belonging to the treasury benches, with the exception of the far-right Jamaat-e-Islami party.
The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government did not invite the key opposition party of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf party to a briefing to address complaints from political parties after anomalous data were found in certain parts of the country.
The census date has been pushed from April 30 to May 15, 2023, with a possibility that no general elections will be held before October/November if the delimitation of constituencies is based on the latest census results of 2023.
The decision is crucial in the context of ongoing talks between the ruling coalition of Pakistan Democratic Movement-led parties and the PTI for finding amicable solutions for holding general elections in a single day.
The population census has always been a controversial exercise in Pakistan, with the latest one proving to be another feather in the cap due to incentives attached to showing an increased population for provinces such as the distribution of resources under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, quota for jobs and other purposes, and an increasing number of constituencies/seats in National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies.
The extension granted for the population census could potentially delay the general elections in Pakistan until October/November if the delimitation of constituencies is based on the latest census results.
The controversy surrounding the population census has been ongoing due to incentives attached to showing an increased population, leading to the need for de-linking financial resource distribution from the results of the population census. And It is imperative to ensure that the counting process is done accurately to prevent political parties from manipulating the results for their vested interests.
During the tenure of former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi in 90s, the census data showed that the population of Sindh was more than Punjab, and the population growth in the hometown of the premier showed growth of over 327 percent, leading to the results being scrapped.
Experts said there are incentives to overstate the population figures in Pakistan, which will continue until and unless the attached incentives are withdrawn.
Following an hour-long meeting held at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) headquarters, Minister for Planning Ahan Iqbal told reporters that the first-ever digital census had counted 230 million people in the country. “The population census timeframe would be extended until May 15, 2023, to verify complaints related to undercounting or overcounting received from different parts of the country.”
The minister said complaints indicated that the census activity did not reach the desired level in urban centers such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and other cities.
Minister Iqbal said the distribution of financial resources needs to be de-linked with the results of the population census, as done by neighboring countries.
The minister said the government granted an extension of 15 days to rectify complaints received from different parts of the country, stating that the urban centers such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and other cities could not get the pace up to the desired mark.
The house listing in high-rise buildings was not fully done, leading to complaints. The government will launch a media campaign to create awareness among the masses to ensure they are counted all over the country.
To a query about expected delays in holding elections owing to the delimitation exercise, Iqbal said the upcoming general elections could be held in October or November.
“If the assemblies completed their tenures, then the elections would be held in 60 days, while if the assemblies were dissolved one or two days ahead of completing the tenure, then the elections could be held in 90 days.”
The chief of far-right Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer in Karachi, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, said the high-rise buildings in the mega-city were not fully counted, with a total of 42,000 high-rise buildings all over the country, with 32,000 located in Karachi alone.
He said so far, the Karachi population was counted at 17.2 million, but it stood at 30 to 35 million in reality.
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