BNP-M asks govt to notify census results

Says elections should be held after demarcation of constituencies based on digital census

ISLAMABAD:

One of the nationalist parties in the ruling coalition—the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M)—has demanded that the federal government immediately notify the results of the 2023 digital population census ahead of the upcoming general elections.

“The government must immediately notify the results of the population census and hold general elections after demarcation of constituencies based on the census,” said State Minister for Power Hashim Notezai, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday.

Pakistan’s seventh population and housing census kicked off on March 2. After multiple delays, the exercise—which was being conducted digitally for the first time--came to an end on May 17.

However, a week after the conclusion of the census, on May 23, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the next national elections would be held based on the 2017 population census.

On July 20, the polls supervisory authority, while declaring that it was prepared to hold general elections on October 11 if the incumbent legislatures complete their five-year term on August 12, clarified that the election constituencies will be based on the 2017 census.

Addressing the media, ECP Secretary Omer Hameed Khan had said forming new constituencies based on the 2023 digital census was “out of question” until and unless the government notified the census results prior to the elections.

“We completed the process of demarking constituencies in 2022 based on the 2017 census. However, if the government notified the results of the digital census, we will take steps according to the law and constitution,” he had added.

Notezai also criticized his own government over its failure to recover “even a single missing person from Balochistan” during its term. “The previous government had recovered over 400 to 500 missing persons but the present government has not recovered even a single such person,” he said.

“Does the incumbent government and state want to alienate the BNP-M from politics? Have military operations in Balochistan yielded any results?” he asked.

The Ministry of Environmental Change presented in the house the list of the ten most polluted cities of Pakistan based on the ranking by the World Live Air Quality Index (AQI).

According to the list, Mirpur is the most polluted city in Pakistan, followed by Lahore, Peshawar and Faisalabad, the fourth most polluted city. Gujranwala is fifth on the list; Abbottabad, sixth; Islamabad, seventh; Rawalpindi, eighth; Karachi; ninth while Mangala is the tenth most polluted city of Pakistan.