Parliamentary watch: MPs voice concern over transparency in census

MNAs criticise govt for mismanagement and loopholes in headcount.

ISLAMABAD: Once again the issue of transparency in the ongoing population census echoed in the National Assembly with members — mostly from the opposition benches — criticising the government for mismanagement and loopholes in the exercise.

The government tried its best to assuage the fears of lawmakers and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

It all started when Jamaluddin from Fata, while speaking on a point of order, expressed reservations on the housing and population census of the internally displaced persons (IDPs).

He said their houses have been destroyed due to terrorism and demanded that their census should be carried out on the basis of the data available with the Fata Disaster Management Authority.



Lawmakers of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl staged a walkout for a while — also over census-related issues.

Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan assured the house that he would take up the matter with the finance minister.

JI’s Sahabzada Tariqullah on a point of order raised concerns over the use of pencil in the filling of census data forms which could be erased at any point.

He also spoke over the composition of officials regarding census. “Three members have been taken from Punjab while the other provinces have no representation in it.”

Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Sherpao demanded that counting of the census of K-P should be done in Peshawar.

ANP MNA Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour also supported the demand of appointing members from each province in the census set-up.

He said: “As counting of every province will be made in the respective province so the counting of K-P should also be done in the province instead of carrying it out in Islamabad.”

MQM’s Shaikh Salahuddin said the census should not be made a controversial issue.

He said: “In Karachi, high-rise buildings are being counted as a single building.”

He demanded that flats of each residential high-rise building should be separately counted.

Awami Party League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed called for making the report of the Abbottabad Commission public.

He said: “The opposition and the government may have their differences but they have mutually backed calls for making the report public.”

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Khalida Mansoor and others regarding non-availability of life-saving drugs like Florinef tablet, Hydrocortisone and TB medicines in the country, specially in Islamabad, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr Darshan told the house that medicines for TB were available in hospitals.

However, he said no one had applied for life-saving drugs like Florinef tablet and Hydrocortisone for registration.

The National Assembly Jirga headed by Shah Jee Gul Afridi amicably resolved the issue relating to an untoward incident that happened last week involving PML-N member Mian Javed Latif and PTI member Murad Saeed.

Mian Javed Latif, on the floor of the House, apologised and withdrew the words he had uttered about the family of Murad Saeed. Murad Saeed thanked the Jirga for its intervention and expressed satisfaction with the decision.

To a question, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Darshan said Aids patients have been treated free of charge.

“According to a survey, there are 17,024 registered Aids patients all over the country and at present 8,133 patients have been getting treatment at different hospitals.”

On behalf of the chairman of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, a member of the committee presented the report on lack of transparency in the LNG deal.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2017.