PBS fails to start pilot project for population census

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has failed to undertake a pilot project for the Population Census scheduled to be held within the ongoing month (May 2022), with the result that the possibility of holding a countrywide Census in coming August 2022 is in jeopardy.

“Now the pilot project for holding population census got delayed for one month so far and it is expected that the counting of population census scheduled for August 2022 will also be delayed” top official sources confirmed while talking to The News here on Tuesday.

The possibility of holding the next general election on the basis of a fresh population census also seems in danger so the changes become bright that the next general polls would be held on the basis of the last census held in 2017.

When contacted by PBS high-ups, they said that they were waiting for the instruction of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) because it was the forum for granting direction for holding population census.

The last PTI-led regime had approved the holding of the first-ever digitized population census within the calendar year 2022 on a de-jour basis and without the condition of having Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs).

It was planned that the next general elections would be held on the basis of the next population census in 2023. It was planned that the house listing and counting of the population would kick-start from August 1 and every enumerator having a computer tablet would have to cover two blocs in its jurisdiction within 30 days period till August 30, 2022.

The number of census blocs also increased from 168,000 in 2017 to 180,0000 for holding the upcoming population census and each enumerator will have to count 250 households in its bloc. The pilot project was planned for May 2022 but it could not be accomplished within the envisaged timeframe.