Govt constitutes high-powered committee to hold population census

ISLAMABAD: After getting approval for 200,000 army personnel for ensuring foolproof security to hold the upcoming census, the government has constituted a high-powered committee comprising top demographers of the country for holding upcoming credible house listing and population census in a phased manner starting from March 15, 2017.

The sub-committee of governing council of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has also included Dr Mehtab Kareem, PhD in demographic studies, into the body. The maiden meeting of this sub-committee is scheduled to be held on coming Saturday in Islamabad to finalise a strategy for supervising the operation of the census and then stipulate the results of this important exercise.

Earlier, Dr Ishrat Hussain used to represent Sindh into the governing council of PBS but he had attended only one meeting, so now the government has decided to include Dr Mehtab Kareem into this process.

In the last governing council meeting of PBS, some members raised concerns over lack of powers by the provincial census commissioner as they were unable to hire even peons despite assigning them the task to hold the census exercise. Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar took notice of this situation and a constituted committee headed by Dr Zeba Sattar to assist the PBS for assisting them to hold the upcoming census in more credible and professional manner. The other members of the committee include Dr Azad Zaman, Dr Nizamuddin and Dr Iqbal as all these experts are renowned demographers in the country.

When contacted, Chief Census Commissioner Asif Bajwa confirmed that the sub-committee comprising members of governing council of PBS was constituted to hold the upcoming census in professional manner.

He said that the summary results of population census would be made available till June 30, 2017. Dr Mehtab Kareem, when contacted, confirmed that he was made part of this sub-committee for holding the next census. He said that earlier he had served as a member of governing council PBS in 2014 and he also possessed wide experience as a demographer. He had also served as adviser of the UN on census exercise for some time.

On the issue of lack of powers by the provincial census commissioners (PCCs), the sources said that some of them have raised complaints over lack of authority and powers under the ambit of PBS for holding the upcoming population census under their jurisdictions.

The provincial census commissioners have conveyed their concerns to the government in writing, raising complaints that they were not given powers by one member of the PBS.  “From 1881 to 2011, the provincial census commissioners were given authority to make arrangements for holding the census but now the PBS high-ups enjoy all powers but the PCCs are complaining over lack of administrative and financial powers under the existing arrangement,” added the official.

Mazhar Hashmi, a retired deputy director general Statistics Bureau, told this correspondent that the census exercise was politicised in certain parts of the country as such practice could cause doubt over the authenticity and credibility of the census. 

He proposed that the PBS must launch vigorous campaign at the media to educate the masses on the importance of this census. If politicisation was not stopped, then its results would become doubtful as the same happened last time in 2011 when the population of one province was inflated and others was reduced.

“More experts should be involved in this exercise to make census more credible and authentic as it will become the very basis of future planning of our country,” he said.