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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Pakistan’s Economic Census: Progress, blind spots and contradictions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2564665/pakistans-economic-census-progress-blind-spots-and-contradictions-1</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2564665/pakistans-economic-census-progress-blind-spots-and-contradictions-1#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 25 13:07:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Affan Qasim]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2564665</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Census maps 7.1m businesses but exclusions and errors cloud the bigger picture]]>
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				<![CDATA[For the first time in more than two decades, Pakistan has produced a national economic census. It counted over 7.1 million establishments and geo-tagged nearly 40 million structures, making it the largest digitisation exercise in South Asia. Government officials have presented it as a landmark step toward building a reliable statistical frame of the economy. But behind the headline figures, experts say the report also exposes serious blind spots and contradictions that raise questions about how useful the dataset will be for policymaking.

The last economic census in Pakistan was conducted in 2000. Since then, the country&rsquo;s economy has transformed, but policymakers have had to rely on outdated estimates and patchy surveys.

That is why Bilal Gilani, Executive Director of Gallup Pakistan, sees the new census as historic.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is wonderful that this has finally happened after 23 years. The world has changed dramatically in that time, yet we were still relying on outdated figures. This provides a digital baseline that Pakistan has never had before,&rdquo;&nbsp;he said.

The census was integrated with the 7th Population and Housing Census of 2023. By combining the two, the government says it saved Rs7 billion. Enumerators equipped with digital tablets geo-tagged 38.3 million structures, of which 79 per cent were residential and 13.4 per cent were economic. A total of 7,142,941 establishments were documented, employing 25.3 million workers.

Dr Lubna Naz, Professor of Economics &amp; Director of the Centre for Business and Economic Research at IBA, described the scale of the effort as both impressive and unfinished.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is both a milestone and a work in progress. Integrating seven million establishments into a single digital frame and geo-tagging 40 million structures is unprecedented, but the data needs further strengthening before it can serve as a robust base for policy,&rdquo;&nbsp;she said.

Yet how the census was conducted, its methods, tools and checks is as important as the numbers themselves.

Methodology, discrepancies and the role of AI

The census marked Pakistan&rsquo;s first attempt to fully digitise economic enumeration. By integrating the exercise with the population census, enumerators were able to collect data on businesses while also recording household information, using digital tablets for geo-tagging.

However, reliability became a challenge. More than half of all entries, 52 per cent, were initially recorded as &ldquo;Others&rdquo; because of vague activity descriptions, spelling mistakes or Roman Urdu. To resolve this, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) turned to artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to clean and classify the data.

Testing showed uneven results. In Lahore, early trials revealed that the algorithm achieved only 24.68 per cent accuracy in matching establishments with their correct industrial codes. After revisions, the rate improved to 85.23 per cent in Karachi and 86.50 per cent in Faisalabad.

Nationwide, the final model was implemented with an estimated accuracy of around 80 per cent. On a dataset of over seven million establishments, that margin means as many as 1.4 million could be misclassified.

Dr Naz questioned the approach:&nbsp;&ldquo;The process depended on limited testing in three urban centres, which restricts its representativeness. Large parts of Pakistan&rsquo;s linguistic and regional diversity may not have been adequately captured,&rdquo;&nbsp;she explained.

Gilani took a more forgiving view.&nbsp;&ldquo;What matters is that a baseline has been created. Even with some misclassifications, this is a leap forward compared to having no census at all,&rdquo;&nbsp;he said.

What the census leaves out

Beyond classification challenges, experts say the bigger issue lies in what the census excluded. The methodology covered establishments in fixed structures and household-based activities such as embroidery, tailoring, poultry, tuition and home food production. But it did not count mobile vendors, street stalls, small beauty parlours, or the rapidly growing sector of freelancers and digital businesses.

Dr Naz warned that this skews the picture:&nbsp;&ldquo;Many unstructured activities fall into services, retail or small-scale production. By leaving them out, the census shifts the apparent weight of the economy towards more formal sectors. Women&rsquo;s contributions, in particular, are statistically visible but economically invisible, because no financial values were recorded,&rdquo;&nbsp;she said.

The report acknowledges this weakness. Household activities were recorded, but 40.49 per cent fell into a catch-all &ldquo;miscellaneous&rdquo; category. This means nearly half of the household economy remains unclassified and effectively unknown.

Contradictions and anomalies

A deeper review of the report reveals inconsistencies between different data tables and classifications.


	
	Education mismatch: Adding up the unit types gives a total of 290,729 educational establishments (242,616 schools, 11,568 colleges, 214 universities and 36,331 madrassas). Yet under the industrial classification, education establishments number 326,868. This leaves over 36,000 establishments unexplained.
	
	
	Health mismatch: Hospitals are counted as 119,789 establishments, but under the industrial codes for human health and social work, the number rises to 123,973. The report does not provide a breakdown to reconcile this gap.
	
	
	Mosque workforce anomaly: The census counts 600,403 mosques employing 2.06 million people, more than the entire factory sector. But it is unclear if this includes volunteers, caretakers or teachers, making the figure hard to interpret.
	
	
	Structures vs establishments: The census documents about 6.3 million economic structures but over 7.1 million establishments. This implies an average of 1.13 businesses per structure, confirming that many plazas, markets and multi-storey buildings host multiple enterprises. Yet the report does not analyse this density, missing an opportunity to shed light on commercial clustering in Pakistan&rsquo;s cities.
	


These contradictions point to weaknesses in how the data was cleaned, tabulated and presented.

Geo-tagging: a&nbsp;digital first

One of the most widely advertised achievements of the census was geo-tagging. Enumerators recorded the GPS coordinates of nearly 40 million structures across Pakistan, enabling for the first time a geo-referenced mapping of businesses.

Gilani sees this as a digital breakthrough:&nbsp;&ldquo;It is a major achievement. For the first time, every shop and establishment is literally on the map. This can change how Pakistan plans its urban and commercial growth,&rdquo;&nbsp;he said.

Dr Naz urged caution:&nbsp;&ldquo;Geo-tagging holds real promise for urban planning and investment targeting, but it is only as good as the classifications attached to it. If the activity codes are inconsistent, then linking them to coordinates does not solve the reliability problem,&rdquo;&nbsp;she said.

Missing depth: finance and gender

Another major gap is the absence of financial and gender-disaggregated data. The census records the number of establishments and their workforce, but does not measure income, investment or financing sources. This makes it impossible to assess the economic value of household-based enterprises or their sustainability.

Dr Naz emphasised the implications:&nbsp;&ldquo;By not monetising household-based work, Pakistan misses crucial insights into home-based enterprises, limiting the ability of policymakers to design effective credit, training, and business support programmes,&rdquo;&nbsp;she said.

The lack of gender data is also a concern. With no breakdown of male and female workers in establishments, the census cannot accurately capture women&rsquo;s role in the economy. This makes their contribution both visible in numbers yet invisible in value.

The risk of standing still

Globally, economic censuses are conducted regularly. India and Bangladesh already use them to capture financing, investment, and digital businesses. Pakistan&rsquo;s exercise, while important, risks being a one-off if not institutionalised.

Dr Naz warned:&nbsp;&ldquo;If Pakistan does not repeat and improve its economic censuses, it will face policy blind spots and lose competitiveness in emerging sectors like e-commerce and freelancing, where women and youth are most active.&rdquo;

Gilani agreed that continuity is essential, though he stressed the importance of the progress already made. For him, the census marks the beginning of a digital statistical system that Pakistan must now build upon.

A foundation to build on

The Economic Census 2023 is undeniably historic: the first in more than two decades, the first digital, and the largest of its kind in South Asia. It provides a baseline picture of Pakistan&rsquo;s economy that did not exist before.

Yet its flaws are equally significant. Contradictions between tables, anomalies in workforce numbers, exclusions of informal and digital sectors, and a heavy reliance on imperfect AI all raise questions about how much weight policymakers should place on its findings.

As Dr Naz summed up, it is best seen as both a breakthrough and a work in progress. The real test will be whether Pakistan can refine, repeat and expand this effort into a reliable system. For now, the country has a digital frame of its economy. Whether that frame is sturdy enough to support sound economic decisions remains uncertain.]]>
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			<title>Minister terms digital census ‘strategic resource’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459500/minister-terms-digital-census-strategic-resource</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459500/minister-terms-digital-census-strategic-resource#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 24 04:54:32 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2459500</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PBS has completed re-basing of the national accounts that is a great step towards improving GDP]]>
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				<![CDATA[Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said the data collected through the 7th Population and Housing Census-2023 was a strategic resource for the &lsquo;data-driven policy making&rsquo;.

Iqbal, during his visit to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), anticipated that it was time to get the benefits from the digital census.

The minister announced to conduct the First Data Fest in Pakistan in 2024, which would be a great step towards extending the benefits of data and bridging the gap between data producers and users as it will inform the government and private sectors, academia, business communities how to get benefit from the data.

Chief Statistician Dr Naeem-uz-Zafar informed the minister that the PBS has taken initiative to adopt &lsquo;Three-in-One&rsquo; approach to implement the &ldquo;integrated digital count&rdquo; strategy, i.e., integration of agriculture, mouza and agricultural machinery counts into one census, i.e., te 7th Agricultural Census (Integrated and Digital count).

Moreover, the PBS is going to launch the results of the 7th Population and Housing Census after which the First Data Festival will be conducted.

The PBS has completed re-basing of the national accounts that is a great step towards improving GDP.

APP]]>
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			<title>Courts can’t interfere in policy matters: SC</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446325/courts-cant-interfere-in-policy-matters-sc</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446325/courts-cant-interfere-in-policy-matters-sc#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Nov 23 05:22:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Jahanzeb Abbasi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2446325</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Observes that Balochistan CM did not object to 2023 census results at CCI meeting]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has observed that the Council of Common Interest (CCI), as a constitutional body dealing with policy matters, is beyond the purview of individual or judicial interference.

&quot;Decisions made by the CCI can only be reviewed by a joint sitting of parliament, not by the judiciary,&quot; stated Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Monday.

Justice Mandokhail, part of a three-member bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan, made these remarks during a hearing on a petition challenging the results of the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023 for Balochistan.

The petitioner initially contested the census result in the Balochistan High Court (BHC), claiming an undercounting of the province&#39;s population. Despite the BHC dismissing the plea, the petitioner brought the case to the Supreme Court.

Justice Ahsan noted that the Balochistan government, including the chief minister as a CCI member, had not contested the CCI&#39;s decision or objected to the census results.

&quot;If individual requests are entertained, it will open a Pandora&#39;s box. The CCI, a special constitutional body, deals with policy matters, and neither individuals nor the courts can interfere in these matters,&quot; he emphasized.

Justice Ahsan questioned the legal basis for the CCI&#39;s final approval of the census, asking for the relevant law relied upon by the federal government for the census notification.

When asked about the 2017 census population of Balochistan, lawyer Kamran Murtaza explained that due to the deteriorating law and order situation, no census was conducted in 2017.

According to the current census, Balochistan&#39;s population is reported to be over 1.25 crore. However, Murtaza suggested that Balochistan&#39;s actual population could exceed 2 crores. The court granted Murtaza additional time to assist in the matter, adjourning the proceedings for one week.

On August 5, the CCI &quot;unanimously&quot; approved the results of the 2023 digital census, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office. The CCI is a constitutional body in the Government of Pakistan, appointed by the president on the prime minister&#39;s advice.

It resolves disputes regarding power-sharing between the federation and its provinces, operating under the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination and being accountable to both houses of Parliament, the Senate, and the National Assembly.]]>
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			<title>ECP announces 21m new registered voters</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2436723/ecp-announces-21m-new-registered-voters</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2436723/ecp-announces-21m-new-registered-voters#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 19 Sep 23 18:23:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2436723</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Poll authority reports 127m eligible voters in the country]]>
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				<![CDATA[The total number of registered voters in the country has surged past 126.98 million, nearly touching 127 million as of July 25 this year, compared to approximately 106 million in 2018. This represents a substantial increase of 21 million voters in just four years.

According to data released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), there has been a significant shift in the gender distribution of voters. In the four-year period, the number of registered male voters has grown by almost 10 million, rising from 59.2 million in 2018 to 68.5 million in 2023. Currently, males account for 54% of the country&#39;s total voters.

Similarly, the number of female voters has also increased by nearly 9 million, from 46.7 million in 2018 to 58.5 million in 2023, constituting approximately 46% of the total voter population.

In terms of provinces, Punjab leads with 72.3 million voters, making up 56.9% of the country&#39;s total voters, compared to 60.6 million in 2018. In 2018, Punjab had 33.68 million male voters, which has now risen to 38.72 million. Similarly, the number of female voters in the province has increased from 26.99 million in 2018 to 33.59 million in 2023.

Read also:&nbsp;ECP to publish preliminary constituencies on 27th

Sindh follows as the second-largest province with 26.6 million voters, constituting 21% of the country&#39;s total voter population, compared to 22.3 million in 2018. Male voters in Sindh have grown from 12.44 million to 14.44 million, while female voters have increased from 9.95 million to 12.20 million over the past four years.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which now includes the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), takes the third position with approximately 21.7 million registered voters, up from 15.32 million in 2018. K-P now represents 17.1% of the country&#39;s total voters, with male voters increasing from 8.71 million to 11.83 million and female voters rising from 6.60 million to 9.68 million since the FATA merger.

Balochistan has 5.3 million registered voters compared to 4.3 million in 2018, accounting for around 4.2% of the country&#39;s total voter count. Male voters in Balochistan have risen from 2.49 million to 2.96 million, and female voters have increased from 1.81 million to 2.31 million in 2023.

Islamabad has a total of 1.04 million voters, up from 0.77 million four years ago, marking a notable increase in the capital&#39;s voter population.]]>
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			<title>ECP at centre of conflicting views on electoral roadmap</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432829/ecp-at-centre-of-conflicting-views-on-electoral-roadmap</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432829/ecp-at-centre-of-conflicting-views-on-electoral-roadmap#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 23 18:55:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2432829</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JI calls for elections in 90 days as MQM-P pushes for fresh delimitations; PPP delegation to meet ECP today]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) remained at the centre of conflicting viewpoints as discussions with mainstream political parties continued on Monday, with the Jamat-e-Islami advocating for polls to be conducted within 90 days, while the MQM-P pushing for fresh delimitations.

According to a press release issued by the ECP, the electoral watchdog held separate meetings with the leaders of both parties to discuss various aspects of the electoral roadmap, including delimitation of constituencies, upgradation of electoral rolls, scheduling of elections, and other related matters.

Delegates from JI visited the ECP and met with its members, including the chief election commissioner.

The ECP&#39;s press release stated that MQM-P emphasised the significant increase in the population of Karachi and demanded a thorough review of voter lists alongside the delimitation process.

Additionally, the party urged the election commission to take strict action against any irregularities during the elections and proposed imposing limits on political parties&#39; election expenses.

Speaking to media outside the ECP, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar said that the population of Karachi is deliberately reduced, adding that the population of Karachi has increased by 27% in six years.

He said the population of Karachi has intentionally been reduced and insisted that transparent constituencies are crucial for a fair election. &ldquo;The first basis of transparent election is transparent constituencies.&rdquo;

On the other hand, JI believed that the election commission should have initiated consultations with political parties earlier.

Talking to the media, the delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami said that it had reservations about extending the election beyond 90 days.

It voiced reservations about extending the election beyond ninety days and urged the ECP to take action independently instead of relying solely on complaints while calling for a &ldquo;more empowered and independent&rdquo; election commission.

The leaders also criticised the decision made by the PDM government to dissolve the assembly before the completion of its term.

Read also:&nbsp;Govt to support ECP in holding elections

The JI demanded that the ECP ensure elections within 90 days and also expressed discontent with the delay caused by the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

During the meeting, the party also urged the election commission to take strict action against any violations of the code of conduct and suggested that all election-related forms be in Urdu for better understanding by the electorate, according to the ECP press release.

In response to the parties&#39; concerns and demands, the chief election commissioner assured them that timely elections would be guaranteed.

The ECP plans to submit proposals regarding political parties&#39; elections to the parliament.

Furthermore, the commission will consult with all political parties on the code of conduct and has established a state-of-the-art monitoring centre for accurate monitoring of the elections.

PPP to meet ECP today

Meanwhile, the ECP will meet the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) delegation on August 29 (today).

The ECP is scheduled to meet with a delegation from the PPP to discuss the party&#39;s position on holding elections within 90 days as stipulated by the constitution.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has assembled a delegation consisting of Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari, Naveed Qamar, Murad Ali Shah, Sherry Rehman, and Farhatullah Babar.

During the meeting, the delegation will advocate for the timely execution of elections and present their stance on constituencies.

Read:&nbsp;ECP invites MQM-P, JI on Monday to discuss polls

According to sources, numerous important meetings related to preparations for the upcoming general elections will also take place at the election commission today.

The meetings will involve the Inspector Generals (IGs), chief secretaries, and provincial election commissioners from all four provinces.

The ECP has instructed the IG of Sindh, the chief secretary of Sindh, and the provincial election commissioner to attend the meeting. Likewise, the ECP has also directed the attendance of the IG of Balochistan, the chief secretary of Balochistan, and a provincial member of the commission.

The meetings aim to evaluate the progress of preparations for the general elections in Sindh and Balochistan.

Furthermore, during these sessions, the ECP will provide the IG of Sindh and the IG of Balochistan with a briefing on the security plan for the upcoming general elections.

The chief secretaries of Sindh and Balochistan will also be briefed on the administrative arrangements for the elections.

The series of meetings began on Thursday, with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf being the first to engage in discussions. This was followed by a meeting with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday.

During the meeting with PML-N, the ECP revealed its plans to concurrently carry out the task of constituencies&#39; delimitation and updating the electoral rolls. The objective is to expedite the process and ensure that the work is completed within the shortest possible time frame.

Earlier this month, the ECP had announced that no elections would be conducted in the current year. This decision was made following the issuance of a notification regarding the latest 2023 digital census.]]>
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			<title>Balochistan census results challenged</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431931/balochistan-census-results-challenged</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431931/balochistan-census-results-challenged#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 23 04:19:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2431931</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Plea requests SC to appoint commission to examine accuracy of data provided by PBS]]>
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				<![CDATA[A petition was submitted to the Supreme Court on Monday contesting the decision made in the August 5 Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting regarding the approval of the 2023 digital census results in relation to Balochistan.

The petitioner, after witnessing the &ldquo;violation of fundamental rights of the people of Balochistan&rdquo; in the 2023 Census, felt compelled to approach the top court to seek protection for these rights, according to the plea.

The petitioner requested that the SC appoint an impartial commission to examine and ensure the accuracy, transparency, and fairness of the data provided by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), and independently verify it through the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) Data Centres.

The petitioner, who according to the plea, is the son of a senator from JUI-F, comes from a family of lawyers, with his father being a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and a member of the Senate. His mother has also served in the National Assembly.

The family has actively advocated for the rights of the people of Balochistan in legal and legislative forums across the country, it added.

According to the petition, the population of Balochistan was reported to be around 21.7 million in various updates during the census process. However, in the final report approved by the concerned authority, the population of Balochistan was reduced to 14.89 million.

It stated that the respondents allegedly manipulated the results after the enumeration process, excluding approximately seven million individuals from the official records.

The petitioner expressed concerns that this manipulation could potentially impact the allocation of financial resources through the National Finance Commission (NFC) as well as the representation of Balochistan in the National Assembly and the provincial assembly.

The denial of equal allocation of resources and political representation on such a large scale is deemed to be a violation of Articles 25 and 27 of the Constitution, the petition added.]]>
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			<title>More than a count: insights from Pakistan’s first digital census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2421210/more-than-a-count-insights-from-pakistans-first-digital-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2421210/more-than-a-count-insights-from-pakistans-first-digital-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jun 23 08:46:48 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Yusra Salim]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2421210</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Despite aim of making process more transparent, concerns abound as to how accurate final results would be]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[For the past year and a half, Pakistan has been in the midst of turmoil with no end in sight. Our economy, despite the government&rsquo;s vociferous assurances teeters on the brink of default. Compounded by political instability and deteriorating law and order, the challenges our nation currently faces have not only impeded the core functions of the state but have brought any hopes of betterment for the common citizen through economic growth and development to a virtual standstill.

It was against this backdrop that the government conducted an exercise crucial for the effective running of any democratic system. After a delay of one month, the 2023 Housing and Population Census was carried out in March, with a significant technological twist. The headcount, for the first time in Pakistan&rsquo;s history, relied on a digital approach with the aim of making the process more efficient and accessible to Pakistanis, and revolutionising the way the data is collected. The result was the implementation of the Digital Census Self-Enumeration Portal, which was made available to the public from February 20 to March 3.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), which conducts the census, citizens could register their family and home details by themselves at the portal using a registered mobile device. A door-to-door digital count was then conducted between March 1 and April 1 to verify the information citizens who used the portal had recorded and to count those who did not self-enumerate.

But even as it marked a huge step forward for the nation, the decision to conduct the census digitally has not been without hurdles. The previous government had given a go-ahead for the headcount as far back as October 2021, with the exercise originally scheduled for the same month the following year. But its ouster following a vote of no-confidence allowed the date to be pushed to February this year, with the PBS required to submit its data on April 30.

The PBS then delayed the headcount once more to March, reportedly for both political and procedural reasons, with the incumbent government appearing to benefit as it provided justifiable grounds to continue its tenure until August this year amid the legal challenges it faced. Ensuring the count was carried out within the stipulated timeline was also contingent upon the availability of around Rs22 billion at a time the country&rsquo;s economy is trapped in a negative spiral.

The enumeration concluded throughout the country on May 22 and the preliminary results were announced a day later. The total population of Pakistan (including the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir) came out to be nearly 250 million &ndash; 249,566,743 to be exact.

In Pakistan, a census is supposed to be carried out every ten years so that elections and government policies and planning can better reflect demographical changes our ever-growing populous nation has gone through. For one reason or another, the exercise has been subjected to fits and starts. The last census was conducted just six years ago in 2017, although the results were challenged and made controversial by various political quarters. The 2017 exercise was carried out 19 years after the last one in 1998, which too took place 18 years after the one before.

Although the digital approach this time around marked a significant development, it has attracted its set of controversies too with several stakeholders concerned whether the final detailed population breakdown will reflect an accurate demographic picture of the country. As we wait, The Express Tribune sought insights on the exercise from across the country to make better sense of the positives and negatives.

Demystifying the digital approach

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the PBS director for Sindh Munawar Ali Ghangro explained why the seventh national census of the country was carried out so quickly after the last one. &ldquo;When the Council of Common Interests released the results of the 2017 census, it did so on the condition that a fresh headcount was be carried out before the next general elections,&rdquo; he recalled.

Discussing how digital tools ended up being relied upon for the 2023 census, Ghangro shared that that in the year-and-a-half since they received the directives for a new headcount, the PBS planned the exercise around new technologies and techniques. &ldquo;This year, thus, marked the first-ever digital census and we are still processing the results.&rdquo;

The main idea of the huge exercise of conducting a housing and population census is the development of policy and planning with the extensive data collected. The federal government arranges and make all the decisions, while provinces manage the operational end, or in other words the technical and financial support is provided by the federal government, while human resource and operations are done by the provinces.

The senior PBS official from Sindh emphasised that such a large operation does not depend on just one department and its decisions. &ldquo;Numerous resources from several departments are involved and [their officials are] assigned duties accordingly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;[For the 2023 census] the ground results were shared via dashboards and monitoring tools with assistant commissioners of districts in Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa who work as census district officers (CDOs). In AJK, G-B and Balochistan, the deputy commissioners plays the role of CDOs. In the eight cantonment areas of Sindh, the cantonment executive officers work as CDOs,&rdquo; he said.

He added that the digital census was a leap forward for Pakistan and will contribute positively by revising and upgrading policies in the spheres of general elections and distribution of resources as per population count with reference to their province-wise geographical strength.

The census experience in Sindh

According to news reports, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had purchased all 126,000 tablets required for the exercise and had configured them with its software, to be used by as many as 121,000 individuals. &ldquo;In just Karachi, around 10,000 resources were used to conduct the whole procedure. In the rest of Sindh, just 23,000 resources including monitors, administrators, enumerators and PBS staff were used,&rdquo; shared Ghanghro.

For the household count, a team of two members went door-to-door with an enumerator and a police constable. Every five to six such teams reported to a supervisor. Data was collected in several categories that include, individual, household, house count, structure, units, and characteristics. The reason for these categories is that each building structure is not a house and each house does not have just one household, so several families residing together are counted in several categories.

&ldquo;Due to self-enumeration, the burden of the workforce was decreased, and self-credibility developed among people as they felt more confident that the data cannot be tampered with or changed in the digital system,&rdquo; Ghangro said. He added that despite the self-enumeration, field workers went to each household and re-checked the data.

The main reason for going door-to-door was that each structure was geo-tagged in the process, the senior PBS official said. According to him, the data collected is not just used for political purposes, but for planning and policy for development, education, energy and mining, foreign economic assistance, foreign trade, health, insurance, labour, manufacturing, money and credit, national accounts, population, public finance, social and culture, transport, and communications. &ldquo;Every government department or area of function has their own concerns, purposes and perspective so they take the data accordingly,&rdquo; said Ghangro. &ldquo;Education pulls the data to see what would be the need for schools in the next five years, the health department to see whether more hospitals will be required and in what areas. If the elderly population is greater or if the youth population is greater in a certain area, then what development projects can be looked at. So each department plans and uses the data as per their need and requirement.&rdquo;

Sharing preliminary results from the recent census, Ghangro said that data gathered until May 22 puts the total population of Sindh at 57.9 million, with Karachi accounting for 19.1 million. &ldquo;These numbers have a margin of 100,000 to 200,000 individuals, as the data gathering is still in process. The individual counted includes anyone who has been living in their city of current residence for the last six months or is planning to live in that city for the next six months. It does not exclude anyone merely on the basis of domicile or permanent address,&rdquo; he said.

This census will entail a lot of political consideration and that too on the parameters of urban-rural divide. Karachi has officially expressed its reservations on the previous census. For instance, the Karachi leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan expressed reservations that the delimitation and constituency divisions were not done right, which is why local government elections have been in favour of the current provincial government run by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Likewise the displacement saga in the tribal areas and settled areas of K-P and Punjab will also be up for a litmus test.

Sources from Upper Sindh suggested some disputes over the final number in the region. According to one teacher, who like many others, was utilised in census teams, the Sindh government allegedly expressed concern over the low numbers from the region when the exercise concluded on April 4. &ldquo;So, we were asked to revisit all the blocks we had previously been to and increase the number of people and houses we had counted,&rdquo; the teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed. &ldquo;This process took another month to complete.

According to another source, the political families of Sukkur held a meeting in which it was decided to increase the number of houses and population to increase the seats of national and provincial assemblies in the city. At present, there are two National Assembly and four provincial assembly seats in Sukkur. The source alleged that Sukkur&rsquo;s influentials want to take that number to three and six, respectively. That said, thousands of Sukkur residents have moved to housing societies on the outskirts of the city, reducing the population of the city centre.

Reports from other cities, towns, and villages in Sindh also suggested similar practices with regards to &lsquo;low&rsquo; numbers, especially in the rural areas of Khairpur and Naushehro Feroze districts, the population of which was badly impacted by last year&rsquo;s floods and torrential rains. Some sources from these districts alleged that census teams counted houses that never even existed. Where digital devices were provided, the procedure was reportedly carried out properly, sources said. However, the census in certain areas could only be conducted the traditional way, they said.

Decrease in Punjab?

The results of the country&rsquo;s first digital census place the count for Punjab at 116.8 million, according to the PBS, which accounts for a little less than half of Pakistan&rsquo;s total population. The results, however, have drawn concern from both political parties and citizens, who believe the numbers will be manipulated to reshape constituencies for the next elections.

Syed Waleed Ahmed, a resident of Baghbanpura, Lahore, shared that he and his two brothers live in the same house with their mother. All three brothers are married, and they have separate portions in the house. Waleed Ahmed mentioned that on the day the census team visited their house, they provided all the information on a simple piece of paper. When they asked the census team why they were not doing online entry since the government provided tablets, they were told that they would do this work sitting at home.

Similar statements were given by Azmi Khan, Robina Ahmed, and Aisha Amer, who are residents of a renowned society in Lahore. These women said that the census team did not collect much information from them. They were asked about their educational background, and their ages were roughly written on a simple piece of paper. They stated that it seems like the field staff of the census might have been instructed not to enter data in real time. Aisha Amer told that she filled out her own survey form online and provided the code to the survey team, but she does not know if the team used that code.

Azhar Khalid, a political analyst and human rights commissioner, stated in an interview with The Express Tribune that there were several flaws in the digital census. He mentioned that he had long meetings with the census team, and he told them that he had shifted his current residence to another block in the society after some time. However, the team did not reflect the change of residence in their data.

Khalid claimed such tactics were used deliberately to increase the vote bank of specific political parties in Punjab&#39;s electoral constituencies and reduce the vote count of opponents. The members of a single family have been counted as one in different areas. He said that these results will undoubtedly be used in the upcoming elections&#39; constituency demarcations. He added that the decreased population ratio in Punjab and its impact on the seats in the National Assembly is a clear example of how the digital census has been politically exploited.

Skepticism in Balochistan and K-P?

For a province where a sizeable number of people are deprived of any form of Internet services, the digital census posed a question mark in itself. Among factors that make the reported results vague, first and foremost was a drastic 56 per cent rise from the 12.3 million people counted in the province just six years ago. Claims by locals that entries by census teams in Balochistan were recorded manually rather than digitally, observers wondered about the possibility of political maneuvering influencing the numbers as political hopefuls seek to reshape constituencies to their advantage.

&ldquo;They [census staff] were not carrying any gadgets to make our entries digitally. They just had a pen and paper,&rdquo; said Rasheed, a resident of Quetta&rsquo;s Shehbaz Town who wondered why call it was called a digital census at all. Chalo Bawri resident Manzoor encountered discrepancies despite using the digital portal: &ldquo;The team recorded our entries manually but when we checked the digital data, my name and my wife&rsquo;s name wasn&rsquo;t present,&rdquo; he said.

There have been complaints that the staff which was hired was neither trained nor equipped with the gadgets which were required for the digital process. Imran, a resident of Qambrani Road said that &ldquo;Only our house was marked in the recent census but no one came in the house to conduct the proper process of the census at all.&rdquo;

Similar concerns were raised by residents in K-P. Waris Shah a student of the Statistics Department of the University of Peshawar said that although the PBS involved teachers to carry out the digital census, most of them did not know the digital approach and there were chances that the wrong figures could have been added. &ldquo;In the area where I am living in, no one came to ask for the census. Although an online form was available, most of the people in villages did not know how to fill these forms,&rdquo; he shared. Criticising the current method, he suggested the PBS would have been better served by recruiting staff on a permanent basis and training them specifically for the digital approach.

A PBS official from K-P, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared that the headcount had only been 90 per cent completed in the province. &ldquo;In areas which were snowed in or where the law and order situation isn&rsquo;t good, we will start the census exercise soon,&rdquo; he said. He added that the PBS is committed to completing the digital census before October and if some areas, for any reason, remain inaccessible, an approximate number will be calculated to complete the exercise, a practice he claimed other countries use as well.

&nbsp;

Official response

Qaiser Sharif, the central spokesperson of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, told The Express Tribune that there are concerns about the census across the country, and we reject it. &ldquo;Despite the increase in population in Punjab, K-P, and Karachi, it is an injustice to not present the accurate number of population by the PBS. The people have lost trust in them,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It is evident that the census process has not been completed properly. No team has reached many areas and districts regarding the census. The government should announce additional days to complete the census process immediately and include those areas and districts where counting has not been conducted so that concerns about the census can be addressed,&rdquo; Sharif added.

However, according to Ghangro, the PBS director for Sindh, despite the fact that political parties mostly prefer to blame the political scenario for the delay in census, it can actually be due to several reasons. &ldquo;At times, it could be the government&rsquo;s unwillingness or no plan or intention to run a census, lack of financial resources, lack of correct political environment or political unrest, weather conditions and lack of adequate human resources,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In some areas the education department which is a major human resource required in these procedures could be busy conducting exams or some other project, and if they are not available, a delay is caused,&rdquo; he added.

Despite repeated attempts, neither the chief statistician of the PBS nor the PBS spokesperson for K-P was available for comments.

The last census in 2017 marked the national population at 207.68 million, with the expressed assumption error of -0.043%. Likewise, the population growth rate was projected at 2.40%, and it estimated that the national count would be well over 225 million to this day. Anyway, the digital census will act as a genuine barometer and jot down statistically the scope of displacement over the period of years, as well as the age grouping in which the nation is in today. An immediate application of the census will rest on the Election Commission, which is constitutionally bound to delimit the electoral constituencies as per results, and at the same time the federal cabinet upgrading disbursement of funds and receipts under the ECC and CCI nomenclatures.

&nbsp;

(WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS IN LAHORE, PESHAWAR, QUETTA AND SUKKUR)]]>
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			<title>Census field operations finally come to end</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2417134/census-field-operations-finally-come-to-end</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2417134/census-field-operations-finally-come-to-end#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 May 23 19:38:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2417134</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Process of verification and validation will be completed within 15 days]]>
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				<![CDATA[The federal government has decided to close the field operations of the 7th Housing and Population Census in Pakistan &ndash; the first digital one in the country &ndash; immediately.

Now, the process of verification and validation to ensure complete coverage would be completed within 15 days.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with the senior management of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), according to a statement issued on&nbsp;Tuesday.

It was decided that all census district officers would provide completion certificates.

The payments to the census field staff would be made by district and assistant commissioners after the provision of the completion certificate.

The headcounts data of restricted areas and collective residences would be incorporated in the population count of the respective blocks.

The Demographers Committee would finalise its recommendations for the consideration of the Census Monitoring Committee (CMC) after analysing the data by applying demographic techniques, keeping in view the forensic audit reports of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) as well as ground realities.

It was decided during the huddle that NADRA and SUPARCO would assist the Demographers Committee technically through forensic audit for the rectification of under- and over-reporting.

Also read:&nbsp;Census process marred with discrepancies

The complaints of lack of coverage at Census Support Centres as well as PBS Call Centres would be entertained at their phone number &ndash; 0800-57574 &ndash; subject to the provision of the national identity card number and addressed till May 30.

Simultaneously, the verification for quality assurance of the data would continue by using a modern technique called Computer Assisted Telephonic Interview (CATI).

The statement read that the citizens were urged to extend cooperation with the government team to verify their data through randomly generated calls through CATI.

It continued that the population counts being reported in the media were provisional and would change after data synchronisation; addition of restricted areas and collective residence aggregated counts; leftover structures and change on the basis of recommendations of Demographers&rsquo; Committee approved by the CMC.

It added that the field operation of the first-ever digital population and housing census was completed on May 15, 2023. The census field operation commenced on March 1, 2023 and continued without any interruption.

The PBS, in the statement, expressed its &ldquo;profound gratitude&rdquo; to the citizens, who actively participated in the census to accomplish their moral and legal obligations.

It concluded that the digital census would provide the opportunity to the government to develop evidence-based policy planning for ensuring the citizens&#39; rights and better service delivery at their doorsteps &ndash; leading to a prosperous nation.]]>
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			<title>Census process marred with discrepancies</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2416692/census-process-marred-with-discrepancies</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2416692/census-process-marred-with-discrepancies#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 May 23 21:06:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Syed Ashraf Ali]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2416692</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Various enumerators allege that the district administration has not cooperated or paid allowances on time]]>
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				<![CDATA[With the prevalent political and security situation in the country diverting the national attention towards the courts, the hue and cry over the census has taken a backseat despite its deadline being days away.

However, when the political stakeholders in Sindh&rsquo;s capital finally wake up to the population count being wrapped up, they will realise that their demand of counting every head in Karachi has not been fulfilled despite multiple extensions in the first ever digital census&rsquo;s deadline.

Officials higher up in the hierarchy of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the department responsible for conducting the census, confessed to the Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that large chunks of the population living in some 38,000 high-rise buildings of the port city had not been counted properly. &ldquo;In various apartment complexes enumerators have only managed to count people up until the second floor of the building,&rdquo; informed a PBS official.

The official blamed the counting discrepancies and lethargy in the census process on the Assistant and Deputy Commissioners of the province, along with the enumerators. &ldquo;If there was an actual check on enumerators by the district administration then about 190,000 people would be counted daily but only 70,000 to 90,000 people are being counted every day,&rdquo; the official regretted.

In this regard, various supervisors of the enumeration staff also admitted to the Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity, that due to a lack of a monitoring by Assistant Commissioners and the non-payment of allowances on time had demoralised the census staff and thus they were not counting people on all floors of high-rise buildings.

It is pertinent to mention that such complaints had been brought to the attention of the Sindh Government previously as well, after which the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, protested against the census process. Subsequently, the deadline was extended to 15th May, and the Assistant and Deputy Commissioners were pressured to take their job seriously. &ldquo;However, after 10 to 15 days, the concerned officers have gone back to their old ways and are withholding allowances and not monitoring the process,&rdquo; alleged an official.

The Express Tribune contacted several Assistant and Deputy Commissioners to inquire about the allegations levelled against them. However, a majority of them declined to comment. Meanwhile, Sara Amjad, the Assistant Commissioner Liaquatabad, said, &ldquo;I was posted here on 1st April and have been doing my job diligently.&rdquo; When quizzed about the discrepancies in the census data, Amjad said that she did not have the data at the moment.

Similarly, Gauhar Sarwar, the Assistant Commissioner for Harbour, when asked about the allegations regarding non-payment of allowances, said that such allegations were false and that everyone was being paid on time.

However, contrary to Sarwar&rsquo;s claims, an enumerator from Harbour, told the Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity, &ldquo;our allowance is fixed at Rs 25,000 but either we are not given the requisite amount or the Assistant Commissioner&rsquo;s office docks Rs 1,000 from the allowance and gives us only Rs 24,000.&rdquo; An enumerator from Kemari also confirmed the Harbour enumerator&rsquo;s claims and said that he had only been receiving Rs 24,000.

The Express Tribune made several attempts to confirm the allegations levelled by PBS&rsquo;s own officials from Sarwar Gondal, the Spokesperson for PBS but he did not respond. Similarly, the Express Tribune contacted the Commissioner for Karachi, Iqbal Memon, multiple times to obtain his views on the allegations but did not hear back from him.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>‘240m’ people counted across the country so far</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2415479/240m-people-counted-across-the-country-so-far</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2415479/240m-people-counted-across-the-country-so-far#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 07 May 23 08:24:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2415479</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In Quetta, the number of people counted is 2.3 million]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has said that according to the seventh digital census, 240 million people had been counted across the country so far, adding that the verification process of census in Balochistan would continue till May 15.

A high-level meeting was held between the PBS and the Balochistan government in the federal capital.

The meeting was jointly chaired by chief census commissioner and Balochistan chief secretary and attended by the senior management of PBS and commissioners and deputy commissioners of Balochistan.

The PBS spokesperson said that the relevant commissioners had informed him about the reasons for unusual trends in the statistics.

He said that 90 per cent complaints received from call centre and SMS gateway had been resolved.

A comprehensive strategy was jointly devised to ensure completion of verification process of census in Balochistan by May 15.

The meeting was told that according to the seventh digital census, 240.18 million people had been counted across the country so far.

They were further informed that 20.03 million people had been counted in Balochistan.

In Quetta, the number of people counted is 2.3 million.

All the commissioners shared the updates on population census in their respective divisions and ensured the participants of the meeting to complete their work by May 15.]]>
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			<title>Census without consensus not acceptable</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414992/census-without-consensus-not-acceptable</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414992/census-without-consensus-not-acceptable#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 May 23 02:30:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2414992</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[People displaced by 2022 flood might go uncounted, says Sindh Coordination Council]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Sindh Coordination Council (SCC), a representative body of civil society, on Wednesday demanded of the government to ensure transparency in the process of digital census by extending the deadline across the province instead of some cities and towns. 

The demand has come following the reports of massive discrepancies in the census and pressure tactics by certain quarters to achieve vested interest.

&quot;Almost all Sindh including Kacho, kohistan and desert areas have been completely or partially destroyed by the heavy monsoon rains and floods last year. A huge number of people are not counted in flood hit areas as they have not yet returned to their homes. But unfortunately, the census date is only being extended in urban areas,&quot; said Professor Aijaz Qureishi, Secretary General of the council in a statement. 

According to the council, comprising six like-minded think tanks including intellectuals, writers, diplomats and professionals, have placed the matter before the Council of Common Interest. As per the council members, the accurate counting of people in Sindh is a must for the correct and justified allocation of funds under NFC or seats in assemblies. 

&quot;We demand that Afghans, illegal migrants and aliens counted so far must be placed in a separate group as a &#39;different entity&#39; so that, they may not be able to enlist with ECP as voters,&quot; the statement said adding that like the 2017 census, this manipulation of the population increase or fudging of figures will render the whole exercise disputed, futile, and worthless. 

The census authorities, federal and provincial governments must ensure transparency, accuracy, and authenticity of the data so that the results are acceptable to all stakeholders.

They said that due to improper and defective planning, the process could not be finalised within the specified period, and the last date has been extended many times. &quot;We time and again questioned the criteria and methodology employed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.&quot; 

They added that the selective extension of geo- tagging and populous count until May 15, 2023 for particular areas is a part of a mischievous agenda, aimed at altering the demographic configuration of Sindh and turning the native population into a minority.

&quot;We should not have double standards in principles or policies in the same province and will protest at every forum if our genuine demand is not met,&quot; said the statement.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Civil society, intellectuals, lawyers reject digital census results</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414695/civil-society-intellectuals-lawyers-reject-digital-census-results</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414695/civil-society-intellectuals-lawyers-reject-digital-census-results#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 May 23 13:35:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2414695</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In joint statement, they say many areas in rural Sindh have been undercounted]]>
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				<![CDATA[The ongoing digital census has been embroiled in controversies, with all stakeholders, especially the political players of Sindh, doubting the conduct of the headcount in the province.

The civil society, intellectuals, writers, artistes and lawyers from Sindh also joined the calmour on&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;voicing deep concerns over the federal government&rsquo;s &ldquo;unconstitutional attempt to rig the census results&rdquo; as they alleged undercounting of population in several rural areas of the province.

In a joint statement issued at the launch of a signature campaign on the issue, they called for an immediate halt to the digital census adding that an emergency meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) should be called to review the exercise.

&ldquo;After figure fudging in the 2017 census and hugely increasing the number of assembly seats for Punjab, the federal government has now undertaken a digital census in violation of the Constitution as the subject is not within its ambit after the 18 Constitutional Amendment,&rdquo; they said in the joint statement.

&ldquo;The subject falls under the domain of CCI where the provinces have equal representation to evolve a consensus and take a decision,&rdquo; they added. &ldquo;Since the central government is heavily influenced by one province i.e. Punjab, therefore, administratively and politically, it always tries to fudge census and rig polls to keep absolute power in one province.&rdquo;

Also read:&nbsp;PTI protests against &lsquo;skewed&rsquo; census

The joint statement was issued by notable intellectuals, writers, and artists, including Noorul Huda Shah, Jami Chandio, Barrister Zamir Ghumro, academic Dr Arfana Mallah, Amar Sindhu, and Advocate Yousif Laghari, in which they further said that the digital census, which started on March 1, was supposed to be completed in one month, but the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) continues to play hide and seek by extending dates.

&ldquo;It has extended the deadline for five times. The extensions are politically motivated to appease the two political parties in Karachi who also mount pressure on the government to get desired results,&rdquo; as per the statement.

They strongly criticised the census authorities for their &ldquo;double standards&rdquo; in the exercise. &quot;On the one hand, the census has been closed in many districts of Sindh that were badly hit by last year&rsquo;s floods, while on the other hand, they are extending dates in the urban centres of Sindh to appease two political parties,&rdquo; they said, adding that there were many blocks in almost all the districts of Sindh that have yet not been completely counted.

&quot;We, the civil society members, reject the current census exercise outright as it is not acceptable to the people of Sindh,&quot; they said, adding that the current headcount was another attempt to keep Punjab&rsquo;s numbers intact and ensure its political dominance in the country.]]>
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			<title>Transparency demanded in census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414412/transparency-demanded-in-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414412/transparency-demanded-in-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 30 Apr 23 20:49:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondents]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2414412</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PTI holds moot, JI marches on road, CM Murad voices reservations over headcount]]>
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				<![CDATA[Count the residents of 30,000 apartment blocks left out in the digital census and also the millions of people living in the slums, read the resolution passed at the Karachi stakeholders conference organised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karachi chapter on Sunday.

The resolution further demanded that the difference between the number of electricity meters and the number of households in the census should be determined. If there are anomalies there should be a recount.

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar addressing the conference said that the first digital census in the history of Pakistan was planned by the PTI-led federal government.

He said that, the results of the digital census should be made public. Every citizen should have access to their registration details.

PTI Karachi President Aftab Siddiqui said Karachi has an estimated 3.2 million electric connections on the basis of this figure it can be estimated that the city has a population of 250 million. There are also illegal electric connections in the city which is not considered in the proper count.

Don&rsquo;t estimate, count everyone: CM

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has demanded extension of the census in the rural areas of Sindh. In a letter sent to Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal the Sindh CM said, &ldquo;we have strong reservations about the decision to freeze the population in these tehsils and talukas where headcount has reached a certain level till April 30.&rdquo; CM demanded of the planning minister that the census in all the districts of Sindh should continue till every household and every person is counted.

JI march

Thousands of people marched on Shahrae Faisal, under the aegis of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi, against the digital census.

JI Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman warned the government and the authorities against any attempt to underreport the population of the city, saying that 35 million individuals live in the megalopolis and the authorities will have to count each and every one.

MQM-P says helped correct city&rsquo;s headcount

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Sunday said that it has been proven through the media reports and government agencies that population of urban Sindh is being shown less in census &ldquo;not due to any mistake, but under a conspiracy.&rdquo;

&ldquo;If MQM had not continued its efforts in this regard, population of Karachi would have been 14.4 million on the day the census was being completed,&rdquo; he said at a press conference in the park adjacent to the temporary centre of MQM-P in Bahadurabad.

Nationalists air reservations

At a joint press conference at Hyderabad press club on Sunday, Qomi Awami Tehreek Ayaz&rsquo;s Latif Palijo, Jeay Sindh Mahaz&rsquo;s Riaz Chandio, Sindh United Party&rsquo;s Roshan Buriro and other Sindhi nationalist leaders, declared the census a conspiracy against the historical and geographical unity of Sindh.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Census: education officers’ transfer barred</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414076/census-education-officers-transfer-barred</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414076/census-education-officers-transfer-barred#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Apr 23 11:28:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category><category><![CDATA[Peshawar]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2414076</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Field operations of 7th census-2023 have been extended due to negative or slow growth rates in the province]]>
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				<![CDATA[The K-P education department on Thursday refrained authorities of all boards of intermediate and secondary education from engaging teaching faculty, posted on census duty, in examination or any other duty till further order.

The field operations of the 7th population and housing census-2023 have been extended due to negative or slow growth rates in the province.]]>
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			<title>MQM-P decries irregularities in census process</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2413728/mqm-p-decries-irregularities-in-census-process</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2413728/mqm-p-decries-irregularities-in-census-process#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Apr 23 04:29:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2413728</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rabita Committee says correct data is not being present]]>
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				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) expressed serious reservations on the ongoing seventh population census on Tuesday, saying that despite raising the matter at the higher level, the correct figures were not being presented.

A meeting of the MQM-P Rabita Committee, chaired by its Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, criticised the &ldquo;non-serious attitude&rdquo; of the government toward the census process.

In the meeting, serious reservations were expressed about the figures of the census released so far. The committee expressed concern over the non-serious attitude of the rulers toward the census, the party said.

It added that despite the meetings with relevant authorities, including federal ministers, and providing them proofs of irregularities in the census process, correct statistics were not being presented.

The meeting took various decisions regarding the future plan of action on the injustice towards the citizens of Sindh, especially Karachi, in the census. It added that after consultation on the plan of action, people would be informed through the media.

Various organisational matters and the current political and economic situation of the country were also discussed in the meeting, which attended by senior deputy convenors Syed Mustafa Kamal, Dr. Farooq Sattar and Nasreen Jalil, deputy convenors Anees Qaimkhani, Abdul Waseem, Kahf Alwari and others.]]>
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			<title>Census work extended till 30th</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2413727/census-work-extended-till-30th</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2413727/census-work-extended-till-30th#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Apr 23 04:26:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2413727</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[According to the PBS, 235,388,000 people have been counted across the country, so far]]>
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				<![CDATA[The seventh population census exercise was extended for five more days particularly in the districts or cities where a negative or very slow growth rate had been observed, sources said on Tuesday.

The approval for extension of census field work was given in a meeting held on April 15, which attended by the Chief Census Commissioner, Chief Statistician, and other senior officials of the PBS, they said.

The districts, where the field work had been extended till April 30, are: Quetta, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi Central, Karachi South, West, East, Korangi, Multan, Khyber, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Attock Chakwal, Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, and Tank.

&ldquo;Negative or a very slow growth rates have been observed in these districts and cities, a sources told The Express Tribune. &ldquo;The verification process will also be ensured in these areas,&rdquo; the source added.

According to the PBS, 235,388,000 people have been counted across the country, so far. They include 116,034,900 individuals in Punjab; 52, 135,748 in Sindh; more than 39.2 million in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), and over 15.5 million in Balochistan.

However, census work in 19 districts, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, is still incomplete. &ldquo;Census work is also pending in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Quetta,&rdquo; the sources added.

The census work did not take place during the Eidul Fitr Holidays, which ended on Tuesday. Now, the last phase of digital population census field operations will begin on Wednesday (today).]]>
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			<title>Karachi undercount?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2411402/karachi-undercount</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2411402/karachi-undercount#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 11 Apr 23 18:00:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[MQM-P is now warning it will begin crippling strikes if the government continues to ignore its plea]]>
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				<![CDATA[The MQM-P is now warning it will begin crippling strikes if the government continues to ignore its plea to reexamine the census figures for Karachi, which the party claims is &lsquo;missing&rsquo; eight million people because of flaws in the last headcount. The party, for which the country&rsquo;s commercial capital was once a stronghold, has also expressed dissatisfaction with the digital census that is currently under way. 

Indeed, some news reports suggest that with about 90 per cent of data collection complete, Karachi&rsquo;s population may have shrunk by as much 15 per cent, which makes no sense until we note that even the MQM-P admits that several densely populated areas, including high rise buildings, have not yet been counted. However, it still appears unlikely that the final number will cross 20 million, even though independent estimates put the population well over that threshold as early as 2017, noting that it has only risen since. But while some of the lesser complaints &mdash; such as the delay in counting high rises &mdash; appear to be padding since they will almost certainly be addressed in time, a few highly concerning accusations have also been thrown about. This includes &lsquo;intentional&rsquo; undercounting, such as a family of nine allegedly being marked as a family of four. 

The MQM-P also claims that the PPP, which has ruled Sindh for over 15 years, is directly involved in the alleged shenanigans because &ldquo;if a fair census is held, the next chief minister of Sindh would be from urban Sindh&rdquo; &mdash; a reference to the PPP&rsquo;s electoral dominance of rural Sindh and relative weakness in Karachi. In fact, in 2018, although it swept Malir, the PPP won just two of the remaining 39 provincial assembly seats associated with Karachi. However, even if the problems are genuine mistakes rather than malicious acts, they are still an injustice to the people of Karachi, who have been denied their due share of government revenue and spending for decades, despite being the country&rsquo;s commercial engine.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2023.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>40 million households registered in digital census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2410290/40-million-households-registered-in-digital-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2410290/40-million-households-registered-in-digital-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 23 17:55:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2410290</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PBS says 95% work has been completed in K-P; 95% in Punjab; 92% in Sindh and six per cent in Balochistan]]>
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				<![CDATA[As many as 40 million households have been registered in going first digital census with 92 percent of its part has been successfully completed, said the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.&nbsp;

It said that 95 percent of census work is finished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 95 percent in Punjab, 92 percent in Sindh and 6 percent Balochistan.&nbsp;

With the smooth workflow and technology innovations, the data of almost 10 million people are daily synched without any issues or technical glitches, the PBS explained recalling that this was a landmark national achievement and that all process is being made with full transparency, accountability and efficiency.

The PBS stated that the provincial and district governments have the key responsibility to conduct the census field operation to ensure 100 percent quality and credible and universal coverage, making sure no one is left behind.&nbsp;

The Bureau has provided the design, and strategic approach, and equipped the provincial and district governments with the technology and tools for complete transparency and real-time progress monitoring of census activities, along with daily oversight and feedback to further improve the data collection exercise in real-time.

The real-time data progress monitoring dashboards, developed in partnership with NADRA and provided by PBS from the provincial to the district governments, help provincial governments in identifying any abnormalities, any areas missed and any other emerging anomalies on a daily basis.

The data received is analysed on a daily basis by the Bureau&#39;s concerned staffers at headquarters and immediately communicated to the provinces for their resolution to ensure timely response and universal and complete coverage.

The PBS claimed that this was 7th housing and population census and the first digital census is a historic milestone and the first digital census of its kind in South Asia.

This successful execution of the census has been made possible through the commendable Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and relentless efforts of the Provincial and District Governments to ensure complete and credible census field operations with the support of the technology support provided by NADRA.

The move towards digitization has allowed provincial and district governments, who are responsible for the field operations for the 100 percent universal and inclusive census coverage, to immediately identify the missed areas using the geotagged houses and the quality of data entered for them by the enumerators in real-time.&nbsp;

The PBS further supported the provincial and district governments by setting up a helpline 080057574 and SMS gateway 9727 where people can call for queries or report anyone or any area missed.

Also read: Digital census date extended to April 10

Recently, on the directions of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, the 495 Census Support Centers are now also working as points of referral for all missed areas.

The success of the current census is also attributed to the rigorous, universally standardized training provided by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to 121000 field enumerators that were identified and selected by the provinces, along with 126000 tablets to digitize the data collection process.

The main objective of the Census is to provide data for informed decision-making for policy planning for the people living in particular areas so that required resources can be provided for the provision of basic necessities like schools, hospitals, roads and others. Questions asked in the census pertain to the number of people and living standards.

Census is not linked to the voter nor does it have the ability to discriminate. It is a mandatory civic duty which all of us need to participate in, for our future, for the future of our children and for the future of the country.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>‘Wrong census may deprive Karachi of its share’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2409344/wrong-census-may-deprive-karachi-of-its-share</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2409344/wrong-census-may-deprive-karachi-of-its-share#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 23 20:16:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2409344</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Mustafa Kamal Lauds efforts of MQM-P digital media team for highlighting issue]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) of Syed Mustafa Kamal has expressed concerns over the alleged fraud taking place in Karachi&#39;s census. 

He emphasised the need for continued effort to ensure that the people of Karachi are counted correctly. He warned that undercounting could result into a loss of resources for the city. 

Kamal maintained that robbers of interior Sindh were planning to usurp the resources of Karachi under an organised conspiracy. He stated that accurate population counts were necessary to prevent such incidents and called for an end to this practice. 

Kamal also urged the authorities to take MQM&#39;s Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui into confidence and address the concerns raised by the MQM about the census. Members of MQM-P coordination committee and digital media team were present on the occasion. 

Highlighting the importance of social media as a tool for raising awareness and conveying problems to the authorities, Kamal urged digital media workers to continue working hard with dedication. He said that social media has become a digital weapon at this time and is an effective way to put problems in front of the world. However, he warned that this could only be achieved through hard work and dedication.

Kamal further stated that there is clear documentary evidence to prove the fake household and headcount by the statistical office. He vowed that MQM-P will not remain silent on this issue.

Kamal warned that the conspiracy to rob Karachi&#39;s resources must be stopped and accurate population counting should be done. 

He called on everyone to play their role in ensuring that the people of Karachi are counted correctly.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2023.]]>
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			<title>GDA opts out of census moot</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406560/gda-opts-out-of-census-moot</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406560/gda-opts-out-of-census-moot#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 23 21:31:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2406560</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Labels PPP initiated multi-party confab 'theatrics']]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) has opted out of a multi-party conference initiated by the Pakistan People&#39;s Party (PPP) on issues concerning the on-going digital census, declaring it theatrics.

GDA&#39;s Sardar Abdul Rahim said that the party received an invitation to the conference scheduled for March 17 but after mutual consultation, decided not to participate. 

He accused the PPP of staging a multi-party conference to sabotage the peaceful struggle against the digital census, saying that the PPP should stop playing games with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan).

&quot;The current census is no different from the fraudulent elections of 2018,&quot; he said while accusing the PPP of cutting a deal to cling to power.

Most Sindh parties, including the PPP, the MQM-P, GDA and Sindhi nationalists have raised a variety of issues concerning the census and its modalities. 

&quot;Tablets do not work in remote areas,&quot; said PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro had said while talking about the moot earlier this week. &quot;The families do not get any receipt and do not have any idea if all the family members are counted and registered,&quot; he had added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Sindh asked to appoint focal person on census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406386/sindh-asked-to-appoint-focal-person-on-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406386/sindh-asked-to-appoint-focal-person-on-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 23 04:39:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2406386</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Census Monitoring Committee reviews ongoing enumeration]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The census monitoring committee allowed the Sindh government on Wednesday to nominate one of its provincial ministers as a focal person for a more coordinated communication in order to speed up the ongoing national headcount operation.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired the 7th meeting of the Census Monitoring Committee to review progress in the country&rsquo;s first digital census activities, field operations and other related issues, according to a said a press release issued here.

&ldquo;The meeting decided that the Sindh government would nominate one member of its cabinet as a focal person for more coordinated communication so that the census operation could be moved at a faster pace,&rdquo; it added.

During the meeting, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) chief Dr Naeem Zafar briefed the participants about the progress in the census process. Iqbal said on the occasion, the government was working in collaboration with all the provinces on conducting a digital census.

The minister directed the authorities concerned to launch an effective media campaign for projecting the ongoing census and creating awareness among the masses about the difference between the digital census and the traditional census conducted in the past.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), PBS chief, chief secretaries of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and senior officials.

The development came a day after the PPP had threatened to quit the federal ministries, forcing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government to allow the provincial governments to access the census monitoring dashboards.

The decision to give access to the provincial governments, especially Sindh, has mainly been taken to persuade the key ally to continue standing by the federal government and shun any second thoughts at a time when the country is going through a political upheaval amid severe financial crises just ahead of the general elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

&ldquo;It has been decided that the statistics as required by the provincial governments, especially Sindh may be included in the monitoring dashboard,&rdquo; Chief Statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Dr Naeemuz Zafar stated in a letter addressed to the chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The chief census commissioner added that the dashboard has already been deployed for chief secretaries, saying the role-based access of the same may be provided to all provincial/regional chief secretaries, commissioners, deputy commissioners (DCs) and assistant commissioners (ACs).

Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, Zafar stated, NADRA teams be directed to assure access to the dashboard by March 15 to all the DCs and ACs &ldquo;at all census district level for broader involvement, transparency and credibility of this national activity of extreme importance&rdquo;.

PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had recently threatened to quit the ruling coalition over objections to the ongoing digital census as well as if the Centre does not fulfill its promises of giving relief to flood victims of Sindh.

With additional input from APP]]>
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			<title>Census process hits snags in Balochistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2405956/census-process-hits-snags-in-balochistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2405956/census-process-hits-snags-in-balochistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Mar 23 21:39:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Syed Ali Shah]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Headcount in 228 blocks shelved for technical reasons]]>
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				<![CDATA[The process for the census cannot be initiated in 228 blocks of the province due to some technical issues, Noor Ahmed Pirkani, the commissioner of Census Balochistan said on Monday.

The census commissioner&rsquo;s response comes after repeated complaints on the part of political parties regarding flaws in the census process in Balochistan. 

The census commissioner addressed a press conference about the process in the province and spoke at length about the issues the census staff is facing to reach out to the masses.

Balochistan has a total of 11,860 census blocks, Pirkani said, adding that the process of the census will begin on Tuesday, however, 228 blocks will not be included in it due to some technical fault.

&ldquo;As we end with the issues in 228 census blocks the process will continue there too,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;All the people living in Balochistan are requested to register themselves in this census.&rdquo;

Total population in 2017 census

Balochistan, the area-wise largest province of Pakistan, had a population of 12.3 million in the 2017 census. The province contributed less than 6 percent to the total population of the country. 

According to the census reports of 2017, Balochistan has an average population density of 35 persons per km square compared to the national average population density of 236 persons per km square and 536 persons per km square for Punjab province.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Sindhi nationalists unite to oppose digital census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2405635/sindhi-nationalists-unite-to-oppose-digital-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2405635/sindhi-nationalists-unite-to-oppose-digital-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 11 Mar 23 20:18:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2405635</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[QAT workers shouted slogans against the rulers for 'conspiring against the native population of Sindh']]>
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				<![CDATA[A large number of workers of Qomi Awami Tehreek (QAT), including women, staged a protest march against the ongoing digital population census on Saturday. They marched from the City Gate Hotel to Hyderabad Press Club while shouting slogans against the rulers for &quot;conspiring against the native population of Sindh&quot; through the census.

&quot;An anti-Sindh and anti-Pakistan conspiracy is being brought to fruition under the garb of this census,&quot; alleged QAT senior leader Dr Aziz Talpur while addressing the marchers. &quot;This census is unlawful and unconstitutional. Its only purpose is to increase the number of MQM-Pakistan&#39;s seats in the assemblies,&quot; he alleged.

Another QAT leader Dr Gulzar Jumani said that the state wanted to accept Afghans, Bengalis, Biharis and Burmese as residents of Sindh. 

The mandatory NIC-holding condition has been waived for the headcount on the wishes of MQM-Pakistan. &quot;Through figure-fudging, all illegal immigrants will be shown as a majority in Sindh,&quot; he warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Bilawal warns of quitting govt if promises not fulfilled</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404617/bilawal-warns-of-quitting-govt-if-promises-not-fulfilled</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404617/bilawal-warns-of-quitting-govt-if-promises-not-fulfilled#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Mar 23 03:54:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[KM ABBASI]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2404617</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP chairman vents Sindh’s reservation on census]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday expressed serious reservation on the ongoing census, saying that his party backed the digital enumeration but opposed the way it was being carried out.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the seed subsidy programme for the growers at the Chief Minister House, Bilawal warned the Centre it would have to fulfil its promise to the flood-affected population, otherwise the PPP could come out of the government.

The PPP can support a scientific and real census, but will not support this methodology. &ldquo;We cannot support such a census,&rdquo; Bilawal told the ceremony. However, he added that the Centre &ldquo;has no solution to our objections&rdquo;.

He added that Sindh was the only province that had objections over the census. &ldquo;I will talk to the Centre about the census. If there are any irregularities, we will not accept them [results],&rdquo; the PPP chief said.

&ldquo;We raised objections against the 2017 census,&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;There was a big difference in the numbers of Sindh and other provinces. If the federal government did not see to the PPP&rsquo;s objections this time, Sindh will not support it.&rdquo;

The PPP chief also called on the Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government to fulfil its promises made to the people of Sindh during the floods. He warned that if the promises to the flood victims were not fulfilled, it would be difficult for the PPP to continue working as ministers.

&ldquo;A positive message will be sent if the federation keeps the flood victims of Sindh and Punjab on its priority list. If the Centre does not fulfil its promises made to the flood victims, the people will ask us questions,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;In such a situation, it will be very difficult to hold on to our ministry. Therefore, the matter will be raised in the federal cabinet and the National Assembly,&rdquo; Bilawal told the ceremony. &ldquo;The Sindh government is helping the flood victims.&rdquo;

Bilawal termed inflation the biggest problem facing the country, adding that the law and order situation was also alarming. However, he expressed his optimism that the PPP could resolve these issues.

&ldquo;The real issues have to be resolved,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The PPP is endeavouring for the revival of economy, and generating employment. The Peoples Party has the solution to the economic challenges facing the country.&rdquo;

He emphasised that Pakistan was an agricultural country, calling for more investment in this sector. Without supporting the agricultural sector, he added, the country would not be able to meet its agricultural needs.

&ldquo;How can we meet our needs, if the agriculture sector is not supported? If they will not invest in agriculture, how will Pakistan become an agricultural country? For economic improvement, focus should be on the agriculture sector.&rdquo;

Bilawal lampooned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for his politics of division and hatred. Without mentioning his name, he said that a &ldquo;political rat is hiding under the bed&rdquo; at Zaman Park.

&ldquo;A rat has pain in his leg, running around,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Politicians like Khan Sahib brought division and hatred in politics. Instead of the political rat, we need to focus on the economy,&rdquo; the PPP chairman added.

Concluding his address, Bilawal said that every segment of the society was perturbed because of high inflation. He also said that the PPP had no quarrel with the &ldquo;selectors&rdquo; rather it was working for economic revival.]]>
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			<title>CM Bizenjo urges people to take part in census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404602/cm-bizenjo-urges-people-to-take-part-in-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404602/cm-bizenjo-urges-people-to-take-part-in-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Mar 23 19:56:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2404602</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Digital exercise is crucial to determine Balochistan’s share in resource pie]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has called on all nationalist, religious, and political parties in the province to actively participate in the digital census for the benefit of the country and the province.

Speaking to journalists, he emphasized that the census is crucial for the province&rsquo;s future and the public&rsquo;s welfare. He also urged anyone who encounters government errors or problems to provide guidance, assuring that the government will cooperate in every possible way.

As a political worker, Bizenjo expressed his admiration for former President Asif Ali Zardari and Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, describing them as mature politicians and patriots.

He encouraged Mengal to engage in both provincial and central politics. He also praised Zardari as an asset to the country.

Bizenjo directed the parliamentary officials and workers of his party, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), to prioritize their constituencies and address the problems faced by locals, while also keeping in mind the country and province&rsquo;s interests.

He emphasized that BAP&rsquo;s manifesto aims to promote national unity, counter prejudice, linguistic and religious hatred, and serve the people and the province without discrimination.

BAP leads the coalition government in the province and is committed to a program of development and prosperity under its manifesto. Bizenjo called upon his party members to use their opportunity to serve the people and the province.

It may be mentioned that the first-ever digital census, which began recently, aims to provide comprehensive demographic data on Pakistan&rsquo;s population, including age, gender, education, employment, and ethnicity.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>PM assures MQM-P of addressing census concerns</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404012/pm-assures-mqm-p-of-addressing-census-concerns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404012/pm-assures-mqm-p-of-addressing-census-concerns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Mar 23 04:22:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2404012</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Shehbaz orders extending enumeration from three to 10 days]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday assured to address the concerns of Muttahida Qaumi Movement&ndash;Pakistan (MQM-P) regarding the digital census.

Sources said that a delegation of MQM-P, led by convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, met Prime Minister Shehbaz in Islamabad. The delegation included Senior Deputy Convener Mustafa Kamal, Advisor to the Prime Minister Sadiq Iftikhar and their party leader Rauf Siddiqui while Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Malik Muhammad Khan participated to assist the prime minister.

Sources say that the MQM-P presented their grievances before the prime minister for un-fulfilled Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)&rsquo;s promises in Sindh and expressed their concerns regarding the census. The prime minister approved their demands regarding the census, for which an official order would soon be issued.

On the demand of the aggrieved party, the prime minister ordered to extend the census from three to 10 days and to mark each flat instead of the main entrance of multi-storied buildings. MQM-P leaders appreciated this decision of the premier.

The MQM-P leaders recalled that the prime minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman were the guarantors of the implementation of all demands, saying that no notification had still been issued regarding constituencies.

MQM-P leaders complained that many promises were made and assurances were given by the PPP, but they had not been implemented so far.]]>
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			<title>Connectivity, security concerns spoil census start</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403969/connectivity-security-concerns-spoil-census-start</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403969/connectivity-security-concerns-spoil-census-start#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Mar 23 20:27:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[amir.farooq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2403969</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Over 28,000 census workers start counting houses]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The rollout of the country&#39;s first digital census was marred by connectivity issues and malfunctioning devices, while census workers in some areas said they weren&#39;t provided adequate security in areas deemed sensitive. 

The first three days of the census were allocated for house enumeration. Women enumerators said they had been assigned to &#39;sensitive&#39; areas but were not provided adequate security. 

There were also complaints over transport. As per the schedule, different centers have been set up in each district from where the enumerators were to be transported to their areas. 

This resulted in the census exercise starting later in the day than scheduled in some areas. 

Earlier in the day, the PBS had informed the Karachi commissioner that personnel of police, rangers and army would be deployed for security along with census staff.

Under the digital census, every structure will be geo-tagged. The door-to-door enumerators will ask questions from people and enter their responses in the software on their tablets. This would be uploaded - either in real time or when connectivity is available - to the main database. 

Blocks

The population in Sindh has been broken into 43,838 census blocks in 30 districts of Sindh.

Karachi has over 10,700 such blocks. Each statistical block consists of 250 to 300 houses. 

For the first time, the household census will collect information on income along with information on the type of disability and would also do a headcount of those who identify as transgenders. 

According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, 28,706 enumerators have been trained in digital census in Sindh. A little over 8,000 would be deployed in Karachi.

The enumerators would not require any kind of document from citizens.

Undocumented individuals including illegal immigrants and foreigners would be counted separately. 

The PBS said that connectivity problems will not hinder the process as the enumerators would store the information on their tablets. The data would be entered in the central software as soon as internet facility is available. 

Briefing

Earlier, Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon review census arrangements. PBS Director Munawar Ali Ghanghro informed that the second phase would starting from March 4. 

The enumerating process would continue till April 1.

A complaint centre has been set up in the commissioner&#39;s office and citizens could register their complaints by calling 1299. (With input from APP)

Coverage concern

The census staff in Diplo, a sub-district in Tharparkar, faced similar issues of connectivity. Swathes of Sindh&#39;s biggest, also suffers from lack of cellular coverage. 

There were also problems with a cellular tower with Tharparkar deputy commissioner contacting relevant departments for its restoration. 

Locals said that some villages had relocated to closer to the barrage for access to water and might not be counted in the census.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2023.]]>
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			<title>CM opens digital headcount in K-P</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403928/cm-opens-digital-headcount-in-k-p</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403928/cm-opens-digital-headcount-in-k-p#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Mar 23 20:08:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2403928</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Census will be completed in two phases with numbers first being allotted to houses]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammed Azam Khan has formally launched digital census in the province as part of the seventh national headcount in the country.

A ceremony to this effect was held here at the Chief Minister House Peshawar on Wednesday which was also attended by officials of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Azam Khan kicked off the census by writing enumeration numbers at the gate of the Chief Minister House.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that census is of vital importance with regard to comprehensive planning for national development, adding that equitable distribution of resources as well as development strategies are planned on the basis of statistics obtained through census. 

He noted that census indicates increasing ratio of population and distribution of urban and rural population in addition to determining important socio-economic factors in society.

The chief minister said that digital census is being conducted for the first time in Pakistan&rsquo;s history in which modern technology is being used unlike the traditional method of census, adding that under the digital census mechanism, citizens have been provided the facility of self-registration.

Muhammad Azam Khan remarked that it is the national obligation of every citizen to ensure accurate data entry of his family members during the census.

He appealed to the public to fully cooperate with the census teams to make the census a success.

The seventh population and housing census and first digital self-enumeration across the province will continue till April 7 like the rest of the country.

The department of education, police, army, and Bureau of Statistics would conduct the national census while the general public could also get themselves registered in the census by using the option of self-enumeration online.

Self-enumeration is a new concept that gives every resident of the country the option to register in the census.

Officials said that any household member can register all members of the family who live and eat together as a household.

According to Statistic Bureau, hostels, jails, seminaries, rehabilitation centers, orphanages, and old houses would be considered collective households and could not avail the facility of self-enumeration.

All the divisional commissioners, being chairmen of the Divisional Census Committees, are supervising the census and would ensure mutual coordination among the line departments besides monitoring the daily reports.

Under the digital census, the Peshawar division had been divided into eight circles where the relevant staff would visit door-to-door and verify the details of each household.

In Peshawar, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and Census staff listed the Chief Secretary House by allotting it a house number and the data was digitally recorded through an electronic device to start the census.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2023.]]>
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			<title>STP terms census conspiracy against Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403341/stp-terms-census-conspiracy-against-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403341/stp-terms-census-conspiracy-against-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Feb 23 20:50:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Hyderabad]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2403341</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Magsi says census was meant to pave the way for the creation of a separate province for the Mohajir community]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Sindh Taraqqipasand Party (STP) Chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has raised the red flag against the upcoming digital population census, saying that Sindhis are being turned into a minority in their own province through a conspiracy.

Addressing party supporters at the annual &ldquo;motherland day&rdquo; rally on Hatri Bypass Road, Hyderabad, late on Friday, Magsi voiced fears that the census was meant to pave the way for the creation of a separate province for the Mohajir community.

&ldquo;Sindh is not a group of some 200,000 or 400,000 people but it is the motherland of tens of millions of Sindhis,&rdquo; he said while accusing PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari of giving in to the wishes of foreign powers to allow the division of Sindh along ethnic lines. He added that Zardari wanted to install his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the next prime minister against this deal.

Magsi argued that a new social contract in Pakistan had become indispensable, saying it was necessary to keep in view the bitter past realities before making that contract. 

&ldquo;The rulers will have to apologise to the people whose rights were usurped in the past,&rdquo; he demanded. 

&ldquo;For that new social contract, there is a need to talk to the true representatives of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and not just to get Asif Zardari and Imran Khan on board.&rdquo;

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>MPAs raise concerns over ‘digital census’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403200/mpas-raise-concerns-over-digital-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2403200/mpas-raise-concerns-over-digital-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Feb 23 07:13:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hafeez Tunio]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2403200</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Legislators seek briefing on exercise to allay transparency concerns]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Opposition legislators in the Sindh Assembly on Friday expressed concerns over the upcoming digital census and demanded of the provincial government to approach the federal authorities to ensure transparency of the exercise.

&ldquo;The last census results were rigged,&rdquo; said Nand Kumar Goklani, an MPA of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), while moving a call-attention notice in the issue.

&ldquo;In the current exercise, there is no transparent way to ascertain the number of people in any household.&rdquo; Goklani said that requirements such as showing one&rsquo;s CNIC had been done away with. &ldquo;How one can trust this process blindly?&rdquo; He contended that lawmakers needed a comprehensive briefing on the digital census to allay their concerns.

&ldquo;We want to know what arrangements have been made so far. Not only the GDA, but MQM-Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami, Sindhi nationalist parties, and even the PPP had grave concerns over the last census. This time around, the process must be transparent,&rdquo; he said. While responding to Goklani, Minister for Local Government Nasir Hussain Shah said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had already raised the census issue in the National Assembly and the Senate.

&ldquo;We have always taken it seriously and protested over the last census too which showed the population of Sindh, especially of its capital Karachi, less than its actual population. We will have no issue if a briefing is arranged in the house for the lawmakers,&rdquo; he said, while addressing Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

Culture &amp; stipends

Earlier, when the session started, Minister for Culture and Education Syed Sardar Shah informed the house that his department was providing stipend to more than 1,000 deserving artistes, singers, poets and writers.

During the question and answer session, the minister informed that his ministry had launched a health card scheme for artists. Responding to another question, the minister said that there are 36 libraries in the province and 55 more would be built very soon. He added that the summary for the same had been sent to the department concerned. &ldquo;We are also purchasing some libraries from the local government department.&rdquo; When asked about art galleries, the minister said they had been set up within the culture complexes with a motive to promote art. He informed that there were 18 auditoriums under his department.

&ldquo;Some auditoriums are under construction in Thatta and Benazirabad,&rdquo; he said, adding that commercial events were also take place in the government auditoriums. Heated exchange The session witnessed a brief heated exchange between PTI MPA Khurum Sher Zaman and Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla as the former wanted to ask supplementary questions from the culture minister.]]>
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			<title>Minister reviews progress on census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2402501/minister-reviews-progress-on-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2402501/minister-reviews-progress-on-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 23 20:33:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2402501</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ahsan hails PBS for launching self-enumeration portal]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Tuesday reviewed the progress of the country&#39;s first-ever digital census and appreciated the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics for its efforts to ensure transparency of the census.

According to a statement, matters regarding field operations and financial requirements also came under discussion during the meeting. The minister appreciated the PBS on the successful launch of the Self-Enumeration Portal and directed all stakeholders to ensure credible, reliable, and transparent census.

The meeting was attended by members of the committee from all relevant departments including chief secretaries of all provinces, secretaries, military operations directorate DG, SMBR, and senior officers from the education department and NADRA.

Chief Census Commissioner Dr Naeem uz Zafar presented the details of census activities. It was informed that after the opening of the self-enumeration portal, around 0.8 million people have visited the portal.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2023.]]>
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			<title>India, soon world's most populous nation, doesn't know how many people it has</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2401306/india-soon-worlds-most-populous-nation-doesnt-know-how-many-people-it-has</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2401306/india-soon-worlds-most-populous-nation-doesnt-know-how-many-people-it-has#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 23 07:58:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2401306</guid>
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				<![CDATA[The country won't know how many people it has because it hasn't been able to count them]]>
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				<![CDATA[In two months, India is projected to become the world&#39;s most populous country with over 1.4 billion people. But for at least a year, and possibly longer, the country won&#39;t know how many people it has because it hasn&#39;t been able to count them.

India&#39;s once in a decade census, due in 2021 and delayed due to the pandemic, has now got bogged down by technical and logistical hurdles and there are no signs the mammoth exercise is likely to begin soon.

Experts say the delay in updating data like employment, housing, literacy levels, migration patterns and infant mortality, which are captured by the census, affects social and economic planning and policy making in the huge Asian economy.

Calling census data &quot;indispensable&quot;, Rachna Sharma, a fellow at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, said studies like the consumption expenditure survey and the periodic labour force survey are estimations based on information from the census.

&quot;In the absence of latest census data, the estimations are based on data that is one decade old and is likely to provide estimates that are far from reality,&quot; Sharma said.

A senior official at the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said census data from 2011, when the count was last conducted, was being used for projections and estimates required to assess government spending.

A spokesman for the ministry said its role was limited to providing the best possible projections and could not comment on the census process. The Prime Minister&#39;s Office did not respond to requests for comment.

Two other government officials, one from the federal home (interior) ministry and another from the office of the Registrar General of India, said the delay was largely due to the government&#39;s decision to fine-tune the census process and make it foolproof with the help of technology.

The home ministry official said the software that will be used to gather census data on a mobile phone app has to be synchronised with existing identity databases, including the national identity card, called Aadhaar, which was taking time.

The office of the Registrar General of India, which is responsible for the census, did not respond to a request for comment.

The main opposition Congress party and critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have accused the government of delaying the census to hide data on politically sensitive issues, such as unemployment, ahead of national elections due in 2024.

&quot;This government has often displayed its open rivalry with data,&quot; said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera. &quot;On important matters like employment, Covid deaths etc., we have seen how the Modi government has preferred to cloak critical data.&rdquo;

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s national spokesperson, Gopal Krishna Agarwal, dismissed the criticism.

&quot;I want to know on what basis they are saying this. Which is the social parameter on which our performance in nine years is worse than their 65 years?&quot; he said, referring to the Congress party&#39;s years in power.

Teachers&#39; travails

The United Nations has projected India&#39;s population could touch 1,425,775,850 on April 14, overtaking China on that day.

The 2011 census had put India&#39;s population at 1.21 billion, meaning the country has added 210 million, or almost the number of people in Brazil, to its population in 12 years.

India&#39;s census is conducted by about 330,000 government school teachers who first go door-to-door listing all houses across the country and then return to them with a second list of questions.

They ask more than two dozen questions each time in 16 languages in the two phases that will be spread over 11 months, according to the plan made for 2021.

The numbers will be tabulated and final data made public months later. The entire exercise was estimated to cost 87.5 billion rupees ($1.05 billion) in 2019.

However, teachers have returned to school after the pandemic disruption and have to conduct nine state elections in 2023 and national elections in 2024 besides the census and this would again disrupt teaching. Payments have also become an issue.

Arvind Mishra, a senior official at the All-India Primary Teachers Federation which counts 2.3 million members, said teachers are bound by law to help conduct elections and the census but government must increase the fees they receive.

&quot;They must roll out a systematic payment mechanism for the drill,&quot; said Mishra. &quot;Teachers deserve respect and they can&#39;t be running around demanding reimbursement for conducting the largest counting exercise on earth.&quot;

A former top official of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the government agency that runs the highly successful national identity programme Aadhaar, however sought to downplay the significance of the decennial census data saying the identity programme is a &quot;de facto, real-time&quot; census.

According to UIDAI, 1.30 billion people were enrolled under Aadhaar on December 31, 2022, against a projected population then of 1.37 billion. The gap would mostly be children who are not enrolled and deaths that are not updated, the former UIDAI official said.

Pronab Sen, a former chief statistician of India, said the sample registration system (SRS) which estimates birth and death rates shows the population growth rate with reasonable accuracy.

Unlike Aadhaar, the SRS survey counts a representative sample of births and deaths and uses it to project the count for a larger region.

&quot;It&#39;s not exact,&quot; Sen said. &quot;The problem is that SRS and projections that we have are reasonably accurate if the country is taken as a whole. What it will not give you is the distribution of people in different geographies within the country.&quot;]]>
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			<title>New census already facing criticism</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397899/new-census-already-facing-criticism</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397899/new-census-already-facing-criticism#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 23 05:04:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[RAZZAk ABRO]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2397899</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[First of its kind digital population tally has attracted the ire of Sindh’s
nationalist parties]]>
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				<![CDATA[Starting in March, the country will have its first ever digital census but just like the previous census this one too is not short of naysayers, which might result in another limbo. When the last census was conducted in 2017, numerous political parties in Sindh expressed strong reservations against the statistics gathered from the province, which led to the census being withheld. Consequently, now despite the Constitution requiring a fresh census every 10 years, another one is being conducted just after 6 years.

However, like the population tally in 2017, this one, even though it is digital, is already attracting criticism - particularly from Sindh&rsquo;s nationalist political parties. &ldquo;The requirement for a computerised national identity card (CNIC) number has been struck off from the census forms, which is not acceptable for us,&rdquo; said Ayaz Latif Palijo, Chief of the Qomi Awami Tehreek.

Palijo was of the view that not requiring a CNIC meant that refugees and foreigners who were settled in Karachi would outnumber the Sindhi speaking population leading to Sindhi speakers being classified as a minority in their own province. &ldquo;For instance, if the Afghan refugees are classified as Pashto speakers, it would lead to a higher Pathan population in the province and this will hurt Sindhis,&rdquo; he explained. The Qomi Awami Tehreek Chief criticised the provincial Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government for being unbothered about such a crucial issue.

&ldquo;The ethnic groups which have a higher population are able to get extra federal government funding and if Sindhis are in minority, they will be deprived of such funding,&rdquo; said Palijo. However, Taj Murri, Head of the National Party of Sindh, does not see eye to eye with Palijo over the CNIC requirement. &ldquo;Millions of Sindhi speakers live in the rural areas of the province and lack basic identity cards. If the CNIC requirement is included then they will miss out on being included in the census, which will adversely impact their headcount in the population tally,&rdquo; Murri observed. Focal person of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, when asked about Palijo&rsquo;s reservations, concurred with Murri&rsquo;s observations.

&ldquo;The purpose of a census in the entire world is to gather information on the people that live in a country so that the government can plan for their education, health, employment, and other needs. Therefore, CNIC and census should not be related to avoid people being skipped in the headcount,&rdquo; said Gondal. When asked how the new census would help in addressing past reservations, the Focal person for PBS said that since this was a digital population tally, it would prove to be a landmark achievement. &ldquo;People will be able to enter their data while sitting at home during the first stage of the process through a web link using a computer or a mobile phone. In the second phase, enumerators will go door-to-door to record and verify the data; and in the third phase data will be compiled and sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan,&rdquo; informed Gondal while talking to The Express Tribune.]]>
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			<title>ECP wants digital census results by March</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391493/ecp-wants-digital-census-results-by-march</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391493/ecp-wants-digital-census-results-by-march#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 22 04:40:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2391493</guid>
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				<![CDATA[In a letter to planning ministry, ECP emphasises timely completion of the exercise]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) whirred into action for the timely completion of the 7th Digital Population &amp; Housing Census 2022 and said that the exercise &ndash; a constitutional requirement &ndash; was imperative for conducting delimitation of constituencies across the country before the next general elections.

In a letter to the planning ministry, ECP said that in order to carry out fresh delimitations based on the digital census information, the census results must be provided by March 31, 2023, so that they can complete their exercise in time.

&ldquo;If digital census results are not published by March 31, new constituencies will be difficult,&rdquo; the letter stated. It also mentioned that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has been repeatedly asked to wrap up the census by December 31.

&ldquo;It was informed that the final results will be published by March 31 instead of December. After the census, new constituencies are required under the Constitution,&rdquo; the letter further emphasised.

It added that it was necessary to publish the final results of the digital census by March 31 to conduct the general elections on time.

Earlier this week, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal had directed the PBS and provincial governments to ensure effective coordination for the timely completion of the seventh housing and population census.

The minister said PBS would share information so the ECP is able to complete its homework before the start of the delimitation exercise.

PBS will officially hand over digital census information to the ECP on April 30, 2023.

He also revealed that the exercise would cost around Rs34 billion and directed PBS to share details of the procurement carried out for the census.

Meanwhile, the PBS chief statistician said that with the support of all relevant stakeholders, it had completed all major tasks and was now prepared for the full rollout of the census.]]>
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			<title>‘Rs34b’ to be spent on digital headcount</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391104/rs34b-to-be-spent-on-digital-headcount</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391104/rs34b-to-be-spent-on-digital-headcount#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 22 04:18:29 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2391104</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Planning Minister directs PBS, provincial govts to ensure effective coordination in country's first digital census]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday directed the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and the provincial governments to ensure effective coordination for the timely completion of the country&rsquo;s first-ever Digital Census and 7th Population and Housing Census-2022.

The minister made these directions while chairing the fourth meeting of census monitoring committee (CMC) to review the progress made so far, said a press release.

&ldquo;The government is spending Rs34 billion for the country&rsquo;s first-ever digital census and each penny is public money which must be utilized responsibly,&rdquo; said the minister. APP]]>
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			<title>7th digital census delayed by four months</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371154/7th-digital-census-delayed-by-four-months</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371154/7th-digital-census-delayed-by-four-months#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 22 16:33:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2371154</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Survey will now begin in Dec; results will be submitted to ECP by Mar 2023]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has announced that the seventh digital housing and population census has been delayed for four months due to procedural reasons, clarifying that it has neither been put on hold nor postponed.

According to a statement issued by the PBS, the first pilot project was supposed to start in June 2022, which started in August, so there had definitely been some delay, but on the basis of the policy, the census will neither be stopped nor postponed. &ldquo;No such decision has been made.&rdquo;

Sources said that the census that was scheduled for the end of August would now commence in the last week of December. They added that the results were previously scheduled to be submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by December this year, but they will now be submitted in March next year.

Read more:&nbsp;NADRA to complete first-ever digital census by Aug 3

They disclosed that the delay stemmed from a hold-up in the procurement of technical equipment as this is the first time Pakistan is conducting a digital census. For this purpose, they added, the country was procuring around 120,000 tablets.

The sources also confirmed the PBS&rsquo; statement about the initiation of software testing for the census, adding that the pilot censuses were being conducted in a few cities and the PBS would compile the report soon.]]>
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			<title>7th census can’t be completed ‘until Dec 31’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361973/7th-census-cant-be-completed-until-dec-31</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361973/7th-census-cant-be-completed-until-dec-31#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 22 07:04:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2361973</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Chief statistician tells Senate panel coordination centre set up on lines of NCOC]]>
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				<![CDATA[The country&rsquo;s chief statistician on Thursday told a Senate panel that the seventh census could not be completed until December 31.

During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by PPP&rsquo;s Taj Haider, Dr Naeem Uz Zafar, the chief statistician at the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), said the inclusion of army personnel in the census was against the law.

He claimed that army personnel were collecting all the census data parallel to the PBS staff.

&ldquo;After meeting with the political parties of Sindh and Punjab, I will take them into confidence on the digital census.&rdquo;

The chief statistician added that a coordination centre had been set up &ndash; on the lines of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19 -- where all stakeholders could review the results.

&ldquo;The security agencies will have no role in the new census. They will only provide security.&rdquo;

PPP&rsquo;s Farooq Naek pointed out that if the census was not completed by December, elections could not be held.

To this Sania Nishtar of the PTI replied that if the new census was not completed, elections could be held based on the results of the 2017 census.

Chairman Taj Haider claimed that what was happening in the census was based on malice only.

He added that Sindh&#39;s population was not being counted correctly.

&ldquo;Animals are being counted but not Sindhis,&rdquo; he added.

He warned that all political parties in Sindh would be on the streets.

&ldquo;Listen to the white-haired people of Sindh. Otherwise Sindhis with a million hairs will not listen to you tomorrow.&rdquo;

Senator Waleed Iqbal of the PTI inquired as to would the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) be ready for elections by October 2022.

The ECP secretary replied that the Supreme Court had observed that after the delimitation, they would be ready for the elections at the end of October.

Earlier, senators and MNAs from Balochistan raised objections to the new delimitation of the province. They were of the view that due to the new delimitation there are many contradictions in the constituencies.

Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar complained that most politicians were influential and used their powers to form new constituencies without any reason.

&ldquo;One&#39;s victory or defeat in the election is linked to the constituencies. It has a great impact on the election results.&rdquo;

Taj Haider noted that that there was significant difference in the population of Balochistan and its constituencies. &ldquo;The law allows for a reduction of up to 10%.&rdquo;

Senator Naek inquired as to under which census would the general elections 2023 be held.

The ECP secretary told him that that there were indications that the digital census would be conducted from August this year.

He added that the government had been asked to publish the results of the digital census by December 31.

Senator Naek noted that according to the decision of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), delimitation could be carried out only on basis of the seventh census.

PTI Senator Ali Zafar said until the completion of the seventh census, the delimitation would be on the basis of the sixth census only.

&ldquo;The decision of the Council of Common Interests cannot be above the Constitution.&rdquo;

Taj Haider said it was expected that elections would be held in accordance with law in the future.

After discussing the issue, the committee unanimously suggested that the 2018 delimitation of Balochistan should be maintained as per the 2017 census until a new one was conducted.]]>
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			<title>Population census hits snag</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2351504/population-census-hits-snag</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2351504/population-census-hits-snag#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 22 05:33:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shahbaz Rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2351504</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt-run firm expresses inability to provide equipment for conducting headcount digitally]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The next population census has hit a snag after a government-run company expressed its inability to timely provide equipment for conducting door-to-door headcount digitally, serving the first blow to the official plans of making the 7th census politically acceptable to all.

The last government had approved a roadmap to begin the pilot census from May 15 and the door-to-door census from August this year but these deadlines can no more be met, sources in the Ministry of Planning and Development told The Express Tribune.

But the plan suffered a major setback when the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) &ndash; a government-run organisation that manufactures telecommunication equipment and electronic systems &ndash; showed its inability to provide the equipment required for carrying out the census, the sources added.

The development comes on the heels of deepening political uncertainty in the country, which could further increase as Sindh-based political parties had refused to accept the next general elections on the basis of the last population census.

&ldquo;The population census has been postponed because of a delay in procurement of hardware and software for conducting census digitally,&rdquo; Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Chief Statistician Dr Naeemul Zafar confirmed. Dr Zafar is also the chief census commissioner.

The PTI government had planned to hold a new census digitally which was aimed at making it transparent and acceptable to all political parties. For the purpose, it arranged a limited competition between the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the NRTC. In its bid, the NRTC had offered to provide equipment at a cost of roughly Rs9.3 billion, which was 15% cheaper than the NADRA&rsquo;s offer.

The PBS had accepted the NRTC&rsquo;s offer and issued it a Letter of Intent on February 24. But on March 3, the NRTC showed its inability to provide the equipment.

Read&nbsp;Govt approves Rs5b for fresh census

Zafar confirmed that the LoI had been issued to the NRTC but it did not timely accept the offer. Three days ago, the firm sought more time to respond, the chief statistician said.

&ldquo;Even if we get the green signal from the vender today, the census will be delayed by at least two to two-and-a-half months against the original schedule,&rdquo; Zafar said.

The sources said that the NADRA was lobbying to get the contract and using various tools to win over the PBS. However, the authorities had concerns that the NADRA may pouch its sensitive and crucial data.

Lately, the NADRA offered to do the job at roughly Rs9.5 billion &ndash; a task that it had earlier priced at Rs11 billion, the sources said.

However, a senior official said that the transparency demanded that the PBS should go for fresh bidding aimed at keeping the process transparent.

The census roadmap approved by the PBS Governing Council and the government suggested that the next census cannot be conducted without first procuring the equipment. The plan is based on tablet-based data collection, geo-tagging, real-time monitoring, extensive training through technological intervention, and time reduction in releasing results will lead the process towards transparency and reliability.

The chief statistician said that this is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a digital census is being conducted.

According to the approved roadmap, the acquisition of hardware that includes tablet, servers, laptops and allied accessories, and software would be completed between September 2021 to March 2022 &ndash; a deadline that lapsed.

On the basis of the initial 30,000 laptops, that the vendor was required to handover by March, the PBS had planned the training of the field staff for pilot survey from April 15 to 30 April &ndash; a task that now cannot be done.

The pilot census of 1% of the blocks or 2,000 blocks had been planned to begin from May 15 but cannot be initiated now. Without the pilot census, the main census in August cannot be held as the staff is not trained to conduct digital census, according to the PBS.

House Listing Operation had been planned from August 1 to 18 and headcount from August 19 to 31, which would not be possible any more.

The target was to hand over the census results by December 2022 to the Election Commission of Pakistan, which right now is delayed by at least two to two-and-a-half months, according to the chief statistician.

Former planning minister Asad Umar had said that only one to two per cent of the census would be paper-based, and 98 per cent of the process digital. He had vowed to announce the census results in December 2022.

The PBS officials had held meetings with the technical teams of NADRA and NRTC for the finalisation of the turnkey proposal. The sources said that the PBS had issued a letter to the NRTC on March 17 for the final reply and sent two other reminders on March 25 and 31, 2022 for the purpose.

The PBS has on its part completed digitisation of blocks, now standing at 182,180 and locked the frame.

The sources said that the delay in holding the next elections without fresh census could antagonise the MQM that had refused to accept the results of the last headcount.]]>
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			<title>ED seeks biodata of govt employees</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2339172/ed-seeks-biodata-of-govt-employees</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2339172/ed-seeks-biodata-of-govt-employees#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 22 19:32:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2339172</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Federal government has decided to conduct 19th census of all government employees]]>
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				<![CDATA[The federal government has decided to conduct the 19th census of all government employees. 

The Establishment Division has sent a questionnaire to all BPS-1 to BPS-22 employees, which contains 33 questions about the nature of education, educational qualifications, domicile, cadre, and tenure, etc.

In the questionnaire, employees have been asked to provide personal and professional information. Personal information includes gender, date of birth, religion, nationality, marital status and disability of the employees.

The required professional information of the employees includes post, basic pay scale, service group, date of employment, duration of employment, appointment on the job, nature of the appointment, and status of the institution, institution in the federation or in the province, current station, besides mandatory training (if required), details of the training, duration of the training, name of the training institution, description of the district or province of the employee, educational qualifications of the employee, If there is specialisation in any department details have been sought.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2022.]]>
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			<title>CCI green-lights 7th population census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2338535/cci-approves-conduct-of-7th-population-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2338535/cci-approves-conduct-of-7th-population-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 22 11:19:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Rizwan Ghilzai]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2338535</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PM says government is committed to resolving national issues with all stakeholders]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Council of Common Interests (CCI), in its 49th meeting on Thursday, green-lighted the 7th Population and Housing Census along with the establishment of the Census Monitoring Committee.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who, while welcoming the chief ministers, called for increasing the frequency of these meetings as per the demands of the provinces.

The premier also congratulated the council members on the establishment of CCI&rsquo;s permanent secretariat, adding that it was a manifestation of the collaborative spirit of federal and provincial governments.

He also emphasised that the federal government is &ldquo;fully committed to resolving national issues in consultation with all federating units and stakeholders&rdquo;.

The Census Monitoring Committee, which would oversee and monitor census activities to ensure expeditious, transparent, and credible census operations, would be chaired by deputy chairman of Planning Commission, and would comprise all provincial chief secretaries, chairman of NADRA, chief commissioner of Islamabad, besides other senior officials.

As per recommendations of the Census Advisory Committee, the CCI decided to conduct the census using international best practices, using digital technology and a GIS monitoring system. It was apprised that the housing census would be conducted before the population census.

Read Pakistan&rsquo;s economy can&rsquo;t afford political instability: SAARC CCI chief

Prime Minister Imran highlighted that the incumbent government wanted to have credible census data that could be used for initiating policies and projects for the welfare of citizens.

The council also decided that additional water requirements for Karachi would be discussed by the committee formed to reconcile views of the provinces at the political and technical levels and issues related to water.

The meeting also approved Annual Report of CCI for the last fiscal year. It was informed that a total of six meetings were conducted during FY 2020-21, during which 21 agenda items were considered with 13 decisions implemented while six decisions were under process.

While discussing the implementation status of previous decisions, the CCI was informed that an independent CCI Secretariat has been established with a budget of Rs110.928 million. An independent secretariat will facilitate effective coordination between the federal and provincial governments.]]>
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			<title>Census questionnaire awaits CII approval</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2331256/shehbaz-asks-ecp-to-act-against-officials-named-in-daska-by-poll-report-1</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2331256/shehbaz-asks-ecp-to-act-against-officials-named-in-daska-by-poll-report-1#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Nov 21 20:23:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2331256</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meeting reviews progress on timelines for digital census next year]]>
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				<![CDATA[The 7th population and housing census next year will be the first-ever digital census in the country, for which the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) was collaborating with various national organisations to complete the gigantic task within the given timeframe.

A review meeting on the census, chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar, was informed that the PBS was strictly following the timelines to provide the data to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in December 2022 for delimitation purpose before the general election in 2023.

A detailed presentation was given on the census work plan and progress to the meeting, which was attended by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, chief statistician of the PBS, the focal person on digital census and the director of the Census Planning and Coordination Section.

Also read:&nbsp;&#39;Next elections to be held under new census&#39;

The meeting was informed that census-2022 questionnaire had been finalised by a committee and its summary, along with the work plan, had been sent to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for approval.

It was also informed that the cabinet had approved the recommendations of the census advisory committee on October 5 for forwarding them to the CCI. The participants were informed that all major preparatory activities for the census would be completed by end of March next year.

Keeping in view the challenging timelines and gigantic activity of the first-ever digital census, the PBS was collaborating with different national organisations for the provision of services to ensure a successful completion of the census activities.

The collaborating organisations include the National Telecommunication Communication (NTC), the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC).

On the occasion, the minister stressed the need for involving provinces in all the census-related processes. He directed that sensitisation seminars should be held at each provincial headquarter for awareness and broader involvement of all stakeholders.]]>
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			<title>Cabinet gives nod to ‘de jour’ census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2323372/cabinet-gives-nod-to-de-jour-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2323372/cabinet-gives-nod-to-de-jour-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Oct 21 11:37:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Rizwan Shehzad  ]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2323372</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Planning minister says proposal to be forwarded to CCI for consensus]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the conducting of a new census on a &ldquo;de jour&rdquo; basis with the help of modern technology, providing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) six months before the 2023 general elections for the delimitation exercise.

Among other crucial decisions, the cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, also agreed to call a joint session of parliament for dealing with the electoral reforms&rsquo; agenda and decided to give relief to electricity consumers in winter.

In a press briefing, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the cabinet had given the nod to the new census, which will be conducted on the basis of de jour instead of the &ldquo;de facto&rdquo; method.

In the de facto method, the minister explained, the enumeration of individuals was conducted as of where they were found in the census, regardless of where they normally resided.

However, he added, the enumeration of individuals as of where they usually resided, regardless of where they were on the census day, was conducted in the de jure method.

Fawad said the one-year period of stay at a particular place is referred to as de jour and most countries follow this method, adding that modern technology and devices, including the use of tablets, would be utilised in the census for the first time in the history of the country.

&ldquo;Assistance from NADRA [National Database and Registration Authority] and other institutions would also be sought to complete the task.&rdquo;

The minister said once the census was completed, the last six months before the elections would be given to the ECP for fresh delimitation, if needed.

Commenting on the Pandora Papers, the minister said a high-level cell formed under the Prime Minister&#39;s Inspection Commission had been tasked to investigate the 700 Pakistanis named in the new leaks.

The cell would also ascertain whether or not the offshore companies named in the Pandora Papers were illegal or involved in money laundering.

Fawad said individuals would be categorised into four groups: those who had declared their offshore companies in Pakistan; the people who had not declared their companies and evaded paying taxes; the ones who used their companies for money laundering; and individuals who had not shown their offshore companies while declaring their wealth.

&ldquo;Criminal proceedings will start after that,&rdquo; he said, adding that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would take action against all those found guilty of committing any unlawful act.

Read Pakistan must prioritise population growth reduction, says Umar

The minister surprised everyone when he said the PTI-led government had already provided more than 10 million jobs in the country as promised in its manifesto.

Fawad added that the Punjab Health Department had alone given 40,000 jobs and roughly 1,650,000 people had gone abroad, adding that he would provide a list of the total number of people employed by different departments.

&ldquo;More than 10 million jobs have been provided in the last three years,&rdquo; he announced at the end of the press briefing.

After the briefing, he told reporters that he was referring to the overall jobs created by the government and private sector together. He clarified that he did not mean the 10 million jobs had been given in government departments.

The minister also said the cabinet had approved an electricity package, whereby all consumers, who would completely shift from using gas to electricity in the winter, would get a discount of up to Rs7 per unit in their power bills.

Energy Minister Hammad Azhar later tweeted that any additional electricity consumed by domestic and commercial consumers from November to February against same period in the previous year would have a discount of Rs5 to 7 per unit.

Fawad said a three-member committee including himself, Communications and Postal Services Minister Murad Saeed and Energy Minister Hammad had been formed to examine the contracts for the power and road infrastructure projects signed by the previous governments on inflated rates and identify the beneficiaries.

The committee would present its report to the cabinet, which would decide further action against the &ldquo;culprits&rdquo;.

The minister said electoral reforms had become a routine agenda of the cabinet, which started its proceedings with a discussion on the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and e-voting in elections.

He said Adviser to the PM on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan told the cabinet that serious efforts were being made to hold a discussion with the opposition on electoral reforms, but in vain.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Therefore, the government has decided to call a joint session of parliament while keeping the door for negotiations with the opposition open,&rdquo; Fawad added.]]>
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			<title>Fresh census plan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2320009/fresh-census-plan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2320009/fresh-census-plan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 21 19:28:36 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2320009</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Must that all political forces should be on board, and the process should be transparently conducted]]>
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				<![CDATA[With general elections 2023 in sight, the government has decided to hold it on the basis of a new census. It is a welcome move, and augers well in order to put to rest reservations on the controversial 2017 census, which was criticised for discrepancies and an unrealistic headcount. It is an uphill task, though. At a time when the country is in the grip of a pandemic, the initiative of conducting a fair population count will be an enormous challenge. The roadmap is to consult all the stakeholders, and then the federal cabinet will direct the Council of Common Interests to complete the process countrywide within 18 months. This gigantic exercise would subsequently lead to new delimitations of constituencies before warming up for general elections. One hopes it doesn&rsquo;t lead to opening up of a Pandora&rsquo;s Box, as getting the nod from all stakeholders seems hard to come.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, in fact, took the political mosaic by surprise by announcing a fresh census. But it must have come as a relief for Sindh and Balochistan, and especially Karachi, which was a prime victim of the 2017 census. The population of Sindh was shown as 48 million in 2017, whereas it should be around 62 million as per the standards of international organisations. Likewise, the urban population was slashed by 25 per cent. This compelled a federal minister from the MQM to write a note of dissent, and the PM promised to hold a fresh headcount.

With the cat out of the bag, there isn&rsquo;t any time to waste for the government. It is a must that all political forces should be on board, and the process should be transparently conducted on a war-footing basis. Counting door to door a nation of 210 million is no mean task. As pledged by the planning minister, the process needs to be smoothed with the help of digital technology and geo-tagging. Likewise, all national institutions in the realms of information technology and communications, especially NADRA, must have a proactive role. There is no need to show exigency, and let the process attain across the board acceptability.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2021.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Sindh’s census concern</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2317113/sindhs-census-concern</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2317113/sindhs-census-concern#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 21 19:21:17 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2317113</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Controversy over census gain momentum as CCI and federal cabinet approve its results by ignoring province’s concerns]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Sindh government is lawfully on the right side of the fence as it brings to the fore its reservations on the disputed census of 2017. It is joined by the MQM, irrespective of being a political adversary, which also believes that the province has been wronged during the head count. The controversy over census gained momentum as the Council of Common Interests and the federal cabinet approved its results by altogether ignoring the province&rsquo;s concerns. MQM&rsquo;s sitting minister had written a dissenting note, too. The issue, which has been simmering for almost three years, is now gathering storm as local bodies elections are on the cards. Political parties believe that delimitations of constituencies on the latest census will rob them of their clout.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah wants a joint session of the parliament to threadbare discuss what he calls the faulty and fraudulent census count. His earlier calls have fallen on deaf ears. It is interesting to note that even Prime Minister Imran Khan has sympathised with Sindh over the irregularities reported in the 2017 census, and promised to allocate funds for a recount. Likewise, the Sindh government had agreed to partially foot the bill, but the Trojan horse hadn&rsquo;t made any headway.

Apart from being a constitutional issue, it also pertains to the fundamental rights of the people of Sindh. Sindh&rsquo;s population should be around 61 million as opposed to 48 million reported in the 2017 census. Karachi, being the bastion of development and revenue, had attracted millions of people from upcountry in the last two decades. Yet, the urban population has been underreported by 25 per cent.

This issue demands immediate attention and a lawful solution. Lingering it on will widen the trust deficit between the federation and the province, which already carries a list of grievances against the Centre. At the same time, it has a political connotation, as allocation of resources under the NFC Award is made on the basis of population, as well as seats in the legislative assemblies. The Centre and the province would be advised to sort it out amicably without hardening their respective positions.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2021.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Sindh demands parliament session to settle census row</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2316890/sindh-demands-parliament-session-to-settle-census-row</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2316890/sindh-demands-parliament-session-to-settle-census-row#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Aug 21 06:45:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2316890</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Province says a joint session of parliament to challenge CCI decision was mandated under constitution]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Sindh government on Monday reiterated its serious reservations about the &ldquo;faulty and controversial&rdquo; census results of 2017 and decided to take up the matter in parliament.

The provincial government will write a letter again to the Speaker National Assembly and the Senate chairman to call for a joint sitting of parliament.

This is the second time the provincial government has decided to write a letter to settle the matter in the National Assembly. Earlier this year in May, the province had moved a reference under the relevant article of the Constitution, seeking a joint session of parliament against approval of census results by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). However, the session was never convened.

&ldquo;It is the considered view of the Government of Sindh that the opinion of the provinces ought to be properly considered before approving the Census results,&rdquo; Sindh Chief Murad Ali Shah said in May.

&ldquo;It is most unfortunate to state here that the committee instead of addressing the concerns of the provinces or even meeting the respective provincial governments unilaterally proceeded with the finalisation of its report,&rdquo; he said.

Read&nbsp;IPC minister asked to seek joint session on census

The Sindh government has contended that a joint session of parliament to challenge the decision of the CCI was mandated under the constitution (Article 154 (7).

The chief minister had claimed that the populations of Sindh and Balochistan were undercounted. To back this claim, he cited a Unicef survey which lists average members of a household at 7.2 for Sindh, while the census results put the number of the average household at 5.64.

The matter comes to the forefront yet again as the province has been confronted with a challenge to hold local body elections as it continues to hold off the polls citing its vehement rejection of the census results.

On Monday, the election commission of Pakistan had asked the Sindh government to provide the requisite details and the number of local councils and maps so it can proceed with the preparations of the elections, saying that the commission can only begin the process of the delimitation of constituencies after it has been furnished with the required data.

It may be mentioned here that the Sindh cabinet had also expressed reservations over the proposed delimitation of local councils by the election commission.]]>
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			<title>‘Will employ all options to challenge census approval’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2296280/will-employ-all-options-to-challenge-census-approval</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2296280/will-employ-all-options-to-challenge-census-approval#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 21 19:59:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hafeez Tunio]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2296280</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Murad reiterates reservations on 2017 census, decries undercounting of Sindh’s population]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah asserted on Thursday that his government would employ all possible options to challenge the &ldquo;unilateral decision&rdquo; taken by the federal government regarding the 2017 census. 

The CM, who was addressing a Sindh Assembly session, reiterated his reservations on the census, in which, he maintained, the population of Sindh had been undercounted.

The session opened with Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani warning treasury and opposition members against creating the ruckus witnessed in the assembly the previous day. The warning followed a briefing by the CM on his government&rsquo;s stance on the 2017 census. 

Read:&nbsp;SHC gives CCI four weeks to issue notification of census results

He decried that the federal government had approved the census despite the Sindh government&rsquo;s reservations. 

Reiterating the reservations, he said. &ldquo;Sindh population has been shown around 22 per cent less than the actual number. The population of Sindh is 60 million, not 47 million, as shown in the census.&rdquo; He said it was not just Sindh, but Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had expressed reservations on the census as well.

&ldquo;Though a parliamentary committee was constituted to review the situation after we aired our reservations, but all in vain,&rdquo; he said, adding that the Sindh government would employ all possible options to challenge the federal government&rsquo;s &ldquo;unilateral decision.&rdquo;

Proscribed party

Besides, even with the federal government having banned the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), its lawmakers attended the Sindh Assembly session for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

Lawmaker Sarwat Fatima of the TLP, who was elected on a reserved seat for women, criticised the Centre&rsquo;s decision to ban her party. 

&ldquo;We fail to understand why our party has been banned. What is our fault? Is it a mistake to raise the issue of blasphemous sketches of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)?&rdquo; she questioned.

Instantly after the MPA raised the questions, Durrani asked the assembly staff to switch off her microphone.

Read more:&nbsp;CCI sets aside Sindh&rsquo;s objections, approves census results

The move led to another TLP MPA, Younus Soomro, who was elected from Lyari, echoed Fatima&rsquo;s views, demanding from the federal government to lift the ban on his party. However, his microphone, too, was switched off soon.

TLP lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly had cried foul during the session the previous day, condemning the action against their party members over Lahore riots. 

The riots led to the arrests of TLP members after they attacked policemen in the capital city of Punjab. 

It was amid this pandemonium, chaos and violence that the federal government formally announced a ban on the TLP.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2021.]]>
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			<title>SHC gives CCI four weeks to issue notification of census results</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294838/shc-gives-cci-four-weeks-to-issue-notification-of-census-results</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294838/shc-gives-cci-four-weeks-to-issue-notification-of-census-results#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 21 20:07:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2294838</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In pleas filed by the MQM-P and others in connection with the population census and local govt elections]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Sindh High Court granted a four-week extension to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Wednesday for issuing the final notification of the 2017 census. 

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, gave the extension in pleas filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and others in connection with the population census and local government elections. 

The deputy attorney general told the court the results and statistics of the 2017 census had been issued. 

Read:&nbsp;CCI sets aside Sindh&rsquo;s objections, approves census results

At that, the court asked for the notification of the census results. 

The court also expressed annoyance over no mention of the notification in a progress report submitted by the Inter Provincial Coordination Division (IPCD). 

When Justice Mazhar inquired about the reasons for delays in the issuance of the notification, the IPCD&#39;s representative assured the court that the notification would be submitted by May 10. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2021.]]>
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			<title>New census</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294546/new-census</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294546/new-census#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 21 18:16:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2294546</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PTI may become the first govt anywhere in the world to publish two separate census results in the same term in office]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Council of Common Interest approved the results of the 2017 census despite the misgivings of Sindh, opening the door for further debate and delays of post-census activities. Oddly, and perhaps worryingly, the government has also said that a new census will be held towards the end of the year &mdash; just seven years after the last one.

PTI may well become the first government anywhere in the world to publish two separate census results in the same term in office. This stands out because the census is normally a once-a-decade exercise, not just in Pakistan but in most countries. The reason here is that the exercise is very expensive. Planning Minister Asad Umar said Rs23 billion would be set aside for the endeavour, which is almost equal to the federal health budget. Demographic changes also generally take a while to become noticeable, and holding censuses too close together may dilute their prominence and impact.

It could also give the impression that the ruling PTI is not satisfied with its election prospects and could use the opportunity to interfere in constituency demarcation to help give its candidates a better chance &mdash; Umar said the 2021 census results would not be available until 2023, but they would still be the basis for delimitation for that year&rsquo;s elections.

That said, if done transparently, a new census might help resolve the debate over one of the most glaring anomalies in the 2017 census &mdash; the population of Karachi. The Sindh government &mdash; and most Karachiites &mdash; see the 14.92 million population figure as a severe undercount. Many believe the actual figure should have been well above 20 million, especially considering Lahore&rsquo;s population of 11.13 million.

The impacts of such a significant undercount are manifold, but at the simplest level, they create an underfunded city as they reduce Karachi and Sindh&rsquo;s share of tax revenue while also impacting urban planning decisions for a city that is already overly urban and underly planned. To a lesser extent, Islamabad also has the same problem, with thousands of citizens being unfairly counted in their &lsquo;home&rsquo; districts instead of the cities where they live and work, and use public infrastructure, services and utilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2021.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Democracy sans its cornerstone</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294278/democracy-sans-its-cornerstone</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294278/democracy-sans-its-cornerstone#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 11 Apr 21 17:24:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
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			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[A census is how representation is divided, how funds are allocated and how constituencies are demarcated]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[A timely and regular census exercise is a cornerstone of governance. This is especially true in the case of democracy. Many of the most fundamental aspects of democracy rely on knowledge of how many people live in what part of a country. A census is how representation is divided, how funds are allocated and how constituencies are demarcated. Little wonder, then, that governance in Pakistan continues to suffer. Our most recent census exercise, so far it seems, was in vain. Going on four years since it was held, persisting differences over its results mean its results have yet to be publicised. Forget doing anything meaningful with those figures. In the meantime, our present set-up continues to rely on data gathered more than 20 years ago. A simple eye-test hints at how much things have changed since, but here we are.

There is a simple sickness at the root of our rot. The status quo overwhelmingly favours certain quarters and they are loathe to relinquish their influence. The 2017 census, while it was being conducted, was already mired in controversy and that naturally has extended to its results. A proper exercise should reflect the changes in various demographics over the years, but that very change threatens to create a new balance of power. This suggests a depressing state of affairs. Chances are we will continue to carry on as we have, with little regard to the damage we are inflicting. As demographics change, a lot more people will find themselves marginalised, increasing risk of unrest down the line. Our limited and dwindling resources will continue to be misallocated, keeping our economy from gaining any sense of functionality.

One hopes at some point our leaders will be &lsquo;magnanimous&rsquo; enough to be honest. But if history is a guide, honesty seems to be antithetical to most leaderships.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2021.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>CCI approves 2017 census results, decides to hold fresh nosecount by year-end</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294393/cci-approves-2017-census-results-decides-to-hold-fresh-nosecount-by-year-end</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2294393/cci-approves-2017-census-results-decides-to-hold-fresh-nosecount-by-year-end#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 21 13:11:51 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
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			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2294393</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Sindh government dissented with the majority decision, says Asad Umar]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Council of Common Interest (CCI) has approved the results of controversial census held in 2017 and decided to hold a new nosecount by the end of 2021, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar announced on Monday.

The CCI &ndash; a constitutional forum to discuss and decide matters between the federation and provinces &ndash; held its meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair. It was attended by all the four chief ministers and relevant federal ministers.

Addressing the press conference following the meeting, Umar said the census results have been approved with the consent of majority members except the Sindh government.

&ldquo;By the end of this year probably in September or November, the process to hold new census will start and it will take around 18 months to complete,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Results of new census will be made public by 2023&hellip; so that delimitation process can take place before the general elections,&rdquo; he added.



Planning Minister @Asad_Umar holding a press conference in Islamabad https://t.co/mQWbv5U9OH
&mdash; Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 12, 2021


Umar said the census is a very crucial task as elections and delimitations are held on its basis. &ldquo;General Elections 2023 will be held on the basis of new census and delimitations,&rdquo; he maintained.

The minister said there was no other way other than to approve the results of 2017 census results, which was rejected by many political parties including PPP and MQM-Pakistan, who allege manipulation and undercounting in the process.

The minister said the government will take all measures to ensure transparency in the next census &ldquo;as it is directly linked with the national security&rdquo;.

&ldquo;We share the same reservations over the results as others provinces and parties including MQM-Pakistan, but we cannot rectify the results of previous census,&rdquo; he added.

&ldquo;Census is not any easy task, it is a big and expansive exercise,&rdquo; said Umar, adding that a budget of Rs23 billion will be allocated for the new census.

Also read: Sindh likely to get due water share after next CCI meeting

Minutes before his presser, Sindh government spokesperson Murataza Wahab in a tweet said that despite Sindh&rsquo;s reservations, CCI approved the results.

&ldquo;Despite reservations shown by CM Sindh, CCI has approved the Census Results. CM Sindh has dissented with the view of CCI and has submitted a dissenting note. Sindh government in pursuance of Article 154(7) of the Constitution will take the matter to Parliament,&rdquo; he wrote on his official Twitter handle.



Despite reservations shown by CM Sindh, CCI has approved the Census Results. CM Sindh has dissented with the view of CCI and has submitted a dissenting note. #SindhGovt in pursuance of Article 154(7) of the Constitution will take the matter to Parliament
&mdash; Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) April 12, 2021


Asad Umar, in today&rsquo;s news conference, further said it was the constitutional right of Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah to oppose the CCI decision, but maintained that the last census was held with the coordination of PPP-led Sindh government.

The PTI minister said given the sensitivity of the matter the federal government wanted to evolve consensus over its decision of holding fresh census.]]>
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