Pakistan to launch its 7th national census this year

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan on Friday informed the Senate that the incumbent government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was going to carry out the 7th Population and Housing Census during the current year for the first time in the country’s history after five years.

Replying to various supplementary questions during the Question Hour, the minister said the process of 7th Population and Housing Census-2022 (1st Digital Census) has been initiated, adding that a Pilot Census would be conducted w.e.f May 15, 2022, to June 15, 2022, and complete Field Operation (Face to Face interviews) from August 1, to August 31, 2022, tentatively.

He said as many as six censuses had been carried out in the country since 1947. The first census was carried out in 1951, second in 1961, third in 1972, fourth in 1981, fifth in 1997 and sixth in 2017.

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He assured the House that state-of-the-art methodology would be used to ensure accuracy and transparency in the census.

The total amount spent on the National Census in the year 2017 was Rs16.884 billion, he added.

He said firstly, the chief minister Sindh made some observations/ recommendations on March 10, 2017, for smooth field operations of Census 2017.

Later after census activity observations were made on census 2017 results by the Sindh chief minister in the Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting held on November 13, 2017, and therein it was decided to conduct third party validation of 1% blocks.

In the CCI meeting of November 24, 2017, it was enhanced to 5% of the blocks furthermore, the chief minister of Sindh opposed the approval of the final results of Census-2017 in the 45th meeting of CCI held on April 12, 2021.

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However, on the recommendation of the Cabinet Committee, the results were approved by CCI with the majority votes and directed to start the process for the next census at the earliest while adopting best international practices and technology usage.

The minister said the Sindh CM on May 29, 2021, while using its constitutional right under Article 154 (7) submitted a reference to the Parliament on the above mentioned CCI’s decision for its placement before the joint session and accordingly during the joint session held on November 17, 2021, the reference was considered wherein the CCI’s decision was approved with majority votes.