ISLAMABAD: The Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Saturday unanimously approved the results of the digital Population and Housing Census 2023. The decision is expected to delay the upcoming general elections in the country.
The CCI meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, witnessed the participation of all chief ministers and senior members of the federal cabinet.
Local media reported that the all-important CCI meeting saw unanimous approval for the latest digital census, despite reservations expressed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) informed the federal government that all necessary formalities for the census were completed.
As per the law, if a new census is notified, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is obligated to conduct elections based on the new data. The anticipated delay in elections could be a couple of months, giving the ECP additional time to conduct the delimitation exercise afresh.
The ruling coalition has agreed to dissolve the National Assembly prematurely on August 9, three days before its term ends, allowing the ECP 90 days to conduct polls.
PPP Demands General Elections Based on 2017 Census
However, the two main coalition partners of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and the PPP have differing views on the enumeration. While the PPP has consistently called for holding polls based on the 2017 census, the MQM-P has expressed its opposition to elections based on the previous enumeration.
Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, voiced concerns about the controversial census issue, suggesting that it could open up a new Pandora’s box of delimitation of constituencies and potentially delay the election.
The Urban-Rural Distribution of the Population is as under:
The 7th Population and Housing Census is historic as it represents the largest digitization exercise in South Asia, accomplished in the remarkably short span of just 18 months. Notably, it marks the first time Pakistan’s population was counted digitally using tablets. Moreover, citizens were provided with the novel facility of self-enumeration. This Census also generated an Economic Frame, aiding in determining the size of economic clusters across the country. Another significant achievement is the geotagging of all structures, ensuring accurate location data. Stakeholders were given access to online monitoring dashboards.
The mentioned accomplishments make this First Digital Census a momentous milestone and a substantial stride towards digitization. The Census data plays a crucial role in governmental decision-making, as it aids in distributing funds and assistance to provinces, districts, and localities. Additionally, it is instrumental in the re-appropriation of National Assembly seats by drawing the lines of legislative districts.
PBS extends profound gratitude to all the officials, stakeholders, field staff, and the general public for their participation, tiring efforts, and cooperation, which culminated in the successful completion of the 7th Population and Housing Census.
Conversely, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry indicated that delaying the polls might not be an issue if it results in acceptable election outcomes for everyone involved.
The CCI’s approval of the digital census is a significant step towards ensuring a comprehensive and reliable database for future elections, although the delay in the electoral process is likely to remain a subject of ongoing debate among political stakeholders.
