PPP somersaults on constituency limits

ISLAMABAD: Fate of constitutional amendment in the Senate for paving the way for delimitation of electoral constituencies on the basis of provisional results of population census hangs in balance after the government rejected demands of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The PPP parliamentary leader had handed over proposal to the government for supporting it in the Senate but Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbassi rejected it. Following the deadlock in negotiations between the government and the PPP, the government was in a fix on how to get the required two-thirds majority in the Senate for passage of the amendment.

The PPP made it clear to the government that until the government removes its reservations on the population census and fulfills its demand for its audit by foreign experts, it would not support the move in the Senate .

The party has now demanded a session of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) on this issue. PPP Parliamentary Leader Senator Taj Haider told The News that the government has rejected the PPP proposals without reading it. He said these recommendations are based on internationally recognised principles and methods and will make the Census credible and acceptable. “The government should not have any hesitation in adopting these recommendations and holding the national elections on time,” he said.

Senator Taj Haider has forwarded 11-point narrative of the PPP to the government but get a negative response on it. The PPP has suggested that Census Verification Commission consisting of three recognised demographers should be appointed with mutual consultation for three months to undertake the audit and submit its final report. This is not the job of commercial audit firms or chartered accountants, he said.

He said Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has become highly controversial. Its part in PSE should be restricted to providing logistic and administrative assistance to the Commission. No one from the PBS should be included in the Commission itself, he added.

He said migrants and illegal residents were excluded from the count because of the de-jure method of enumeration that registered residents on their original place of residence and not on their present place of residence. The condition of showing of Nadra identification also excluded those who did not have identity cards. Adjustments can be made for those who have been temporarily displaced because of security reasons, he mentioned in the 11 points.

He said Post Enumeration Survey (PES) should be conducted in randomly selected blocks on de-facto method which counts every resident who was in a place of residence the previous night. It also records births and deaths in the house during the last one year.

He said curfew should be imposed in the selected blocks for a day to carry out the Survey in a professional manner.

He demanded enumeration be done on templates and the data be transmitted on line after counting each house to the office of the commission and the provincial government.

He proposed the UN Population Fund can also give consultancy services to give technical inputs for the Census Commission to carry out PES in an internationally recognised manner.