Nationalist leaders oppose census criteria

Say federal government is planning a 'fresh attack' on Sindh

KARACHI:

Nationalist leaders have opposed the basis on which the new population census will be conducted in the country from August this year.

Addressing the annual Yome-Madar-e-Watan [motherland day] public meeting of Sindh Taraqi-Pasand Part (STP) in Hyderabad on Thursday night, they dubbed it a fresh attack on Sindh.

"The federal government is planning a new attack Sindh in the form of the population census," said Dr Qadir Magsi, STP's chairman.

"This is an old conspiracy to turn Sindhis into a minority by sending hundreds of thousands of outsiders from Wana, Waziristan, Afghanistan and other places have been sent to this province."

Earlier this week, federal planning minister Asad Umar said that the population would be counted on an "as is where is" basis and that too without condition of the computerized national identity cards (NICs).

The people living in a particular place for six months before the census day will be considered local residents.

Magsi warned that such a census will not only be rejected but opposed. He contended that autonomy is being denied to Sindh and that the native people are being deprived of their rights.

"Sindhis or Balochs haven't but the powers sitting in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore have caused more harm to the country."

The STP's chairman blamed Pakistan People Party's Sindh government for corruption and bad governance.

He said a parliamentary alliance will be formed in Sindh to challenge the PPP in the elections. "Zardarileague has destroyed Sindh."

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo opposed the NIC waiver for the census and said Biharis, Burmese and Afghanis will be counter among the locals because of the waiver.

He argued that consequently more electoral constituencies of non-Sindhis will be created in the province.