Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, has directed provincial governments to complete the field verification/coverage of the 7th Population and Housing Census by May 15 in areas where population growth is not in line with normal Demographic trends, and to close the field operation in all areas where population growth is in line with natural trends.
7th Population and Housing Census
According to a PBS news release, a follow-up meeting was held on 30th April 2023, with where population growth is not in line with demographic trends until May 15, chaired by Minister of Planning to discuss the nomenclature for completion of fieldwork of the 7th Population and Housing Census by May 15, 2023, in pursuance of the 12th meeting of the Census Monitoring Committee and meeting with Demographers and Political parties.
During the meeting, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal emphasised that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has taken strict notice of the repeated extensions of field enumeration activities of the 7th Population and Housing Census.
Thus, targeted verification and enumeration operations should be carried out in areas with abnormal Population Growth, where gaps have already been highlighted using the digital systems architected by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) for the first-ever Population and Housing Census.
He emphasised that specific efforts should be made in urban areas of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as well as in ICT, to combat challenges of under and low coverage.
To complete the field enumeration in all provinces, a consistent data-driven policy must be implemented.
To address the gaps and effectively complete this exercise, strict monitoring of fieldwork and daily communication of progress with PBS headquarters for onward submission to Minister PD & SI must be implemented.
He also stated that, in addition to under-enumeration, the digital system has detected over-counting and occasions when the census exercise has been altered or tampered with, resulting in aberrant trends.
He urgently urged concerned teams to strictly resolve such issues in order to avoid similar incidents in the future.
He emphasised the importance of completing the operation by May 15, 2023 in order to give over data to the Election Commission of Pakistan on schedule.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Secretary PD & SI, informed PBS and stakeholders to redouble their efforts to complete the exercise by May 15, 2023, and to establish a uniform policy in all blocks across the country to complete the exercise.
Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Census Commissioner, gave the most recent updates and recommendations for completing the exercise on time.
He recommended that provincial governments assist in monitoring and deep surveillance of field exercises, as well as law enforcement authorities in providing protection to enumerators, in order to resolve gaps and complete the exercise on time.
He also stated that efforts should be made to assure full coverage of restricted zones, communal residences, and gated communities.
The daily sharing of progress with the PBS central office, as well as the sharing of under coverage and no coverage complaints by civil society and stakeholders to respective province governments, will play an important role in speedy decision-making and the completion of the massive activity of field enumeration.
The meeting resolved that field operations in Punjab (33 districts), Sindh (8 districts), KP (9 districts), Balochistan (3 districts), and ICT should specifically focus on verification/coverage of leftover areas, in addition to verification exercises in specific locations.
Furthermore, in order to complete the exercise on time, PBS higher management will hold a series of meetings beginning with the Chief Commissioner Islamabad on May 1, 2023, followed by the Provincial Governments of Punjab on May 2, 2023, KP on May 3, 2023, Sindh on May 4, 2023, and Balochistan on May 5, 2023, and provide details of target areas showing negative growth, non-living units, and single person/two person’s households to districts.
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