Census matters

In any country an accurate, reliable population census is essential to running the affairs of that country smoothly and planning ahead for future developments and projects in that country. It is of course, also central to the delimitation of seats for elections, especially in a federation like Pakistan, for marking constituencies, and setting boundaries for them as well as other measures that have an impact on electoral constituencies, their size, their location and voting from them. It is therefore imperative that a census be accepted by political parties and be conducted in a manner which is transparent, and therefore more likely to be accepted by the people of the country. Sadly, in Pakistan, this has not happened over the years. While in the early decades of the country, the census was held regularly, every 10 years as laid down in the constitution, up to 1981. After this period, problems were seen with the census of 1991 held in 1998, a break from the 10-year period. The census that followed the one in 1998 was held in 2017 – 19 years later, and after a sizable change in the size of the population, its age, and after demographic details as well as in the situation of localities across the country.

It should also be noted that the 2017 census was held only after the Supreme Court gave orders that this was a must. The census was especially necessary as a general election was coming up (GE 2018). While the federal cabinet approved the census, with a dissenting note from the MQM which noted flaws in the manner in which it had been conducted, it did accept the final result. However, new problems have now arisen with the PPP stating that it does not accept the census and is asking why the decision, reached by the leaders of parties that the 2017 census was valid only for the upcoming general election and subsequent by-elections, was not honoured. The PPP noted that Azam Swati had signed the document to this effect on behalf of the PTI. The party has sizable objections with the census, notably the manner in which the population of Sindh has been measured and the provision that people from other provinces living in another one not be counted in their province of residence. The PPP claims this has caused huge discrepancies in the document and that the agreement that five blocks be recounted once again has not been undertaken. It is obvious then that problems continue with the census despite the acceptance. It is important that a way be found to amend these so that the census is more broadly accepted and can be used as a document on the basis of which planning for the future is decided by the government.