Dar said the census exercise would cost around Rs14 billion. This is in addition to the support being provided by the country’s development partners, especially the UNFPA. PHOTO: APP
The minister was addressing an international conference on population census, organised by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in coordination with the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA).
“The government will hold the population census as soon as possible but it has to be credible and acceptable to all stakeholders,” the finance minister said while addressing the conference participants. When asked to give a date, he replied he could not comment on it at this stage.
Dar’s comments have come at a time when the government has decided to consult international demographers to conduct a credible population census, which has been due in Pakistan since 2008.
On July 15, the Supreme Court gave the government a 15-day deadline to submit a timeframe for holding the sixth population census, which has been put off thrice since 2008.
Replying to a question on the SC deadline, Dar said the Statistics Division secretary would submit a reply in the top court.
He suggested that experts should also recommend mechanisms to involve the provincial and district governments in conducting a credible census. He also sought expert opinion in reducing the time between collecting data and dissemination of information, aimed at winning the confidence of all stakeholders.
Dar said in order to seek the military’s support for security, the PBS was constantly in touch with the “relevant authorities” and meetings have been held with the Military Operations director-general as well.
Asif Bajwa, the chief statistician at the PBS – the body responsible for holding the census – said that issues like security of staff, credibility of the exercise, treatment of aliens and Afghan refugees and any alternative methodologies would have to be addressed first for conducting a credible census.
Because of these issues, he said the Council of Common Interests decided to postpone the population count till adequate troops were available while calling for completing the exercise this year.
Bajwa said that roughly 300,000 troops were needed to provide security to about 200,000 enumerators and supervisors for the census.
The finance minister said the PML-N government held the last census in 1998 and the sixth population census would also be held by the PML-N government.
Dar said it was imperative to have a correct number of the total population of the country for better management of resources. The results of the population census become a base for distribution of financial resources, allocation of job quotas and determination of provincial seats in National Assembly.
Dar said the census exercise would cost around Rs14 billion. This is in addition to the support being provided by the country’s development partners, especially the UNFPA.
UNFPA Country Director Dr Hassan Motashami said the UN body was looking forward for an official announcement of a date for the census. Global experience suggests any compromise on quality standards may jeopardise the whole exercise, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2016.
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