MQM-Pakistan's leader writes letter to census commissioner

Farooq Sattar expresses concerns over numbering system used in ongoing census

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - Pakistan Convener Farooq Sattar wrote on Wednesday a letter to census chief commissioner, expressing reservation over the numbering system that the house counts in Karachi would be shown lesser than the actual number.

Sattar mentioned that in the 2011 census, which remained incomplete, each house was given a different number irrespective of its occurrence in a residential complex or a condominium. However, in the current census, each building, regardless of the fact that it holds multiple houses, is given a single number only.



He said that based on the 2011 numbering system, each block was created on the basis of having around 200 houses on an average. However, he apprehended, the current practice will show the houses less in numbers and ultimately affect the blocks' quantity. The MQM-Pakistan chief said that in the rural parts of the province, each house, whether it is a tent or a ship, was allotted a different number but in the financial hub of the country the numbering system is different and tantamount to a deliberate act of showing the urban population lesser.

Sattar said that if the authorities do not pay heed to the issue and their concerns, the census process and its results will not be accurate. "Each flat or portion in a building should be given different numbers so that proper house counts can take place," he added.