Ist phase of census in 13 KP districts, Orakzai Agency begins today

PESHAWAR: The first phase of the census is beginning in 13 districts in Khyber Pakhtun-khwa and Orakzai Agency today and the first three days would be spared for house counting.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commissioner for Census Mumtaz Ali Khan told The News that Orakzai Agency had been included in the first phase of census.

He added that some tribal elders and officials of Orakzai tribal region had requested the authorities to conduct the census in Orakzai in the second phase as they argued that most of the displaced families had not returned home.

“The official documents say the displaced families have been sent back to Orakzai Agency but the local elders claim that majority of them are still living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added. He said the census would be conducted in 13 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that included Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu, Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, Battagram and Torghar.

The official said the census would be conducted in 12 districts in the province and six tribal agencies including Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Bajaur, South and North Waziristan in the second phase from April 24 to May 24. He said the first three days were meant for house counting while a day would be spared for homeless people in both phases of the census.

Mumtaz Ali said the Afghan refugees and other foreign nationals would be registered in the census as foreigners while the tribal people living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would also be enlisted in the census.

He dispelled the impression that the census data of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata would be submitted to the authorities in Islamabad for counting.

MANSEHRA: As many as 1126 officials, including half of army personnel, have been dispatched to their respective blocks under tight security to execute population and homes census in district.

“We have dispatched over 1100 officials in 563 Patwar blocks to collect population and homes data,” Iqbal Hussain, the deputy commissioner Mansehra told reporters on Tuesday.