For census, only a quarter of troops needed available

Population count may not be completed in time as a result

ISLAMABAD:

In the wake of hectic security-related engagements, the military can only free up 100,000 troops for census duties, fuelling doubts as to whether the exercise can be completed on time.

The number of soldiers the General Headquarters (GHQ) is willing to spare will meet only 25% of the requirements for supervising the census and maintaining law and order during the exercise.



In a meeting on Friday, officials from the finance ministry and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the body responsible for carrying out the census, discussed the implications of not having the required number of military personnel deployed for the national exercise.

“To ensure transparency and the smooth and secure conduct of the census, coordination and assistance from the armed forces was critical,” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was cited as saying according to an official handout.

Chief Census Commissioner Asif Bajwa had informed him that the military could only spare 100,000 troops for the census, making it impossible to complete the exercise in a manner that could win the trust of all stakeholders, PBS officials said.



The government plans to begin the sixth population census from the end of next month and give preliminary reports before end of this year. The results will become the base for delimitation of constituencies ahead of the next general elections and for finalisation of the future National Finance Commission awards.

Dar has already ruled out conducting the census in phases as proposed by the PBS last month to mitigate problems posed by the lack of availability of military personnel.

Despite repeated attempts, Bajwa was unavailable for comment on the development.

According to the finance ministry handout, Dar directed the chief census commissioner to coordinate with relevant authorities and submit a full action plan on the issue within three days. The minister himself will talk to the top military brass and try to get an assurance on more troops, PBS officials said.



Bajwa, on January 21, told the media that PBS required at least one soldier for supervision in each of the 167,000 blocks where the exercise would be carried out. This requirement is apart from troops needed for security. The total troop requirement lies between 167,000 and 375,000 personnel.

The census commissioner added that having army personnel accompany census officials would lend credence to the entire exercise.

The army’s engagements on the domestic front along with its traditional requirement at the national borders are believed to be factors behind committing less troops. In the range of 180,000 to 200,000 military troops are currently committed under Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which has been launched to flush out militants.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2016.