Federal officers told to file report on census yet again

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed federal law officers to apprise the court regarding preparations for the sixth population and housing census.
While hearing Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP) central leader Dr Siddique Rathore’s petition - with respect to the constitutional binding of a federal government to hold a census before the local bodies’ election - the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, secretary cabinet division and interior secretary were asked to submit a detailed report over conducting a census within the shortest possible time.
The petitioner maintained that amendments in the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 were in violation of Article 140-A of the constitution, as section 3 clearly stated that local government elections had to be in accordance with a population census.
Citing the 1998 census, he said the population had increased twofold since, whereas, the formation of union committees was directly proportional to the number of people living in a city.
The section officer of the cabinet division informed that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) after agreeing to hold an election in May 2014 deferred the decision following the law and order situation in Balochistan and had asked provincial chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch to suggest possible solutions.
He claimed that the report was submitted and the matter was under the council’s consideration, however, a decision would be taken in the forthcoming meeting scheduled for March 10.
The minister for inter-provincial coordination had informed the PM in this regard, he further added.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics also submitted its report maintaining that the matter would be taken up in the CCI meeting. The hearing was adjourned till April 3.

Pending since 2011
According to a report filed on behalf of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics by deputy census commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha, in the previous hearing, the matter has been pending with the CCI since 2011.
The report filed in compliance with the court order as to whether the bureau could conduct a census within three months maintained that at least ten months were required for making necessary arrangements as well as coordinating with provincial governments; timely availability of financial resources was also a matter of concern.
The court was informed the matter was on the council’s agenda for the meeting held on February 10, 2014; however, the matter was forwarded for the next meeting.
The court in accordance with the bureau’s report had also observed the government was attempting to delay the census by using Balochistan’s issue as an excuse and that immediate measures should have been taken to contain the situation.
The court had also directed the bureau to prepare for the census within the shortest possible time as the matter had been delayed inordinately and had asked the concerned parties to submit a report on a priority basis.