PC-1 follows projects if there’s intention to work: SC

Gives two weeks to govt to give date for holding population census; next polls impossible if there’s no delimitation of constituencies in absence of census; AG tells court troops will be available by March 2017

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave two weeks to the federal government for submitting a concrete statement on the date and time-frame for holding the population census.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, resumed hearing in a suo moto case concerning the delay in the population census.The chief justice remarked that work was started on a project when there was the intention while the PC-1 followed the project.

Appearing on notice, Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf told the court that by March 2017, army personnel will be available for holding the census.

However, the chief justice observed that census was a legal and constitutional  all illegally issued CNICs to Afghan refugees before conducting the population census, the chief justice said nothing had been mentioned in the letter about any delay.

The attorney general contended that the government had no mala fide intention of delaying the census but there was logistic issue. Justice Jamali observed that not only malicious intent, but also the ill motives of status quo beneficiary were visible saying that the incumbent government had completed its three and a half years tenure without ensuring population census.

He further observed that there was no logistical and legal requirement that the army personal should be present in the process of census. He said the previous governments were also responsible for delaying the census. Ashtar Ausaf however assured the court that the census would be held by March 2017. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.