QWP-called APC asks government to hold census

Sherpao says govt using delaying tactics

PESHAWAR: An all parties conference (APC) organised by the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) on Saturday asked the federal government to hold census without any delay as progress and development of the country is directly linked to the count.

The conference held at Watan Kor was attended by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Provincial Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, ministers Shah Farman, Inayatullah Khan, Sikandar Sherpao, Anisazeb Tahirkheli, Jamaat-e-Islami provincial head Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Awami National Party provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid provincial president Intikhab Khan Chamkani, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl provincial chief Maulana Gul Naseeb, Awami Workers Party provincial president Shahab Khattak, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami KP president Mukhtar Yousafzai, Mazdoor Kissan Party Pakistan chief Afzal Khamosh and PPP leader Zulqarnain Khan.

Talking to the media persons after the conference, QWP chief Aftab Sherpao said the federal government should announce launching census across the country. He believed that delaying tactics were being used in carrying out the exercise.

“It is a lame excuse by the federal government that our army is busy in military operation and the fresh census is impossible without its participation,” he added.

Aftab Sherpao maintained that the government should have engaged other government institutions like Nadra and local government representatives to make it a success.

The QWP chief said that fresh census was very important to put the country on the road to progress and development. The equal distribution of resources and the same share in National Finance Commission award was impossible unless and until there is a transparent mechanism for conduct of population census across the country, he added.

Aftab Sherpao said the KP had been facing terrorism for the last one and half decade and unemployment rate had increased manifold.

“Running of government affairs including preparation of budget and NFC awards on the basis of mere estimation and assumptions is not acceptable to us anymore,” he maintained.

The participants unanimously passed the declaration, asking the federal government to fix date for conducting fresh population census as soon as possible.

It said the federal government should ensure accurate and transparent mechanism for conducting of the census and avoid estimation and assumption in this regard.

The participants said instead of the army’s participation, the government should ensure transparent census while taking help of other government institutions.