Iqbal asks PBS to expedite census process

Minister asks authority to complete fieldwork verification by May 15

ISLAMABAD:

The planning minister has directed the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) to complete the field verification/coverage of the 7th Population and Housing Census by 15th May in areas where population growth is not in line with normal demographic trends.

He has also directed the enumerator to close the field operation in all areas exhibiting natural trends.

According to a statement issued by the PBS, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal—in a meeting on Sunday—laid stress on completing fieldwork of the 7th Population and Housing Census by May 15, 2023.

It said the meeting was held “in pursuance of the 12th meeting of the Census Monitoring Committee and a meeting with demographers and political parties.”

Iqbal told the participants that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken strict notice of repeated extensions of field enumeration activities during the headcount.

“Therefore, targeted verification and enumeration operations should be carried out in areas with abnormal population growth, where gaps have already been highlighted using the digital systems architected by the PBS for the first-ever digital census,” he said.

He said special efforts should be made in urban areas of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the federal capital to counter issues of under-coverage and low coverage. A uniform data-driven policy must be adopted to conclude the field enumeration in all provinces.

“The fieldwork should be strictly monitored and the progress should be shared on a daily basis with the PBS headquarters and me in order to fill gaps and successfully conclude this exercise,” he said.

Iqbal said along with under-enumeration, the digital system has also identified over-counting and cases where census exercise has been manipulated or tampered resulting in abnormal trends.

He directed the concerned teams to address such cases strictly to avoid such incidents in future. He stressed on the importance of completing the exercise on May 15 for timely handing over of data to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Planning Secretary Syed Zafar Ali Shah asked the PBS and stakeholders to redouble their efforts to complete the exercise on time and to adopt a uniform policy in all blocks throughout the country.

Chief Census Commissioner Dr Naeemuz Zafar presented the latest updates and recommendations for the completion of the exercise within the stipulated time.
He said the support of provincial governments—in monitoring and surveillance of field exercise—along with support of law enforcing agencies for provision of security to enumerators is critical for addressing gaps and timely completion of exercise

“There is a need to make efforts to ensure full coverage of restricted areas, collective residences and gated communities,” he said.

He said sharing progress with the PBS head office on daily basis and sharing of under coverage and no coverage complaints by civil society and stakeholders to respective provincial governments will play an effective role in quick decision-making and concluding the gigantic activity of field enumeration.

It was decided in the meeting that field operations should specifically focus on verification/coverage of leftover areas in Punjab (33 districts), Sindh (8 districts), the K-P (9 districts), Balochistan (3 districts) and Islamabad along with verification exercises in specific areas.

Further, to conclude the exercise within the stipulated time, the PBS higher management will hold a series of meetings, starting with Islamabad chief commissioner on May 1 [today].

It will hold a meeting with the government of Punjab on May 2; of the K-P on May 3; of Sindh on May 4; and Balochistan on May 5. It will provide details of target areas showing negative growth, non-living units and single person/two persons' households to districts for successful completion of the task.