Sindhi nationalist parties and religious organisations have declared the ongoing house count ‘bogus’ and have called for a province-wide strike on April 30.
They also demanded that the census be carried out under the supervision of the army. A curfew should be imposed and the Election Commission staff should monitor the listing.
On Thursday, a meeting was held at the residence of the census action committee chairman, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, to discuss the ongoing house listing.
A joint press briefing was held after the meeting. Shah, Save Sindh Movement’s Syed Shah Muhammad Shah, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz’s Bashir Khan Qureshi, Katchi Rabita Committee’s Muhammad Hussain Katchi and other representatives of religious and political parties attended the conference.
Only 60 per cent of the cities and 40 per cent of the rural areas have been covered in the census and there is a “deliberate” attempt to ignore Sindhis and make them seem like a minority, the representatives alleged. They called for a complete shutter-down and transport strike on April 30.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2011.
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