Govt urged to ensure proper preparation before census

LAHORE : The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has expressed its concern over the shortage of preparedness of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics for nationwide inhabitants census, scheduled for August 2022.

CSJ, via a communication to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Minister of Finance Miftah Ismail urged them to take a severe take a look at the preparation concerning inhabitants census on the assembly of Council of Widespread Curiosity (CCI).

The communication highlighted {that a} credible end result of the nationwide inhabitants census will rely upon the belief constructed via participatory transparency, sound technical planning, dissemination, and coaching of lots of of 1000’s of enumerators to be concerned.

A press release issued by Wajahat Masood, Chairperson CSJ and Peter Jacob, Govt Director stated, “CSJ is of the opinion that the preparations for the time being aren’t enough and ample”. “A correct time for preparation needs to be allowed so {that a} credible knowledge is generated and public belief is cultivated on the method in addition to the end result of nationwide inhabitants census”.

“Authorities ought to proactively have interaction with civil society, worldwide observers and media and transparency needs to be proven as regards to technical and procedural points of this necessary exercise.”

CSJ urged the chief statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to replace media and civil society on common foundation, shun the tradition of secrecy, as regards to preparedness, use of digital gadgets and standing of coaching of enumerators.

“Because the final two censuses have proven a substantial lack of non secular range in Pakistan (0.21% in 19 years), the complaints of non secular minorities needs to be addressed in order that an correct, credible and reliable knowledge comes out on the finish,” the assertion additional stated.

In line with the 2017 census knowledge, the minorities had been 7.3 million in Pakistan, which embrace Christians (2.6m), Hindus (3.6m), scheduled castes (0.85m), and others (0.23m). Nevertheless, the general inhabitants of minorities had declined by 0.21% in 19 years (between 1998 and 2017). The census outcomes confirmed astonishing tendencies.

Whereas the Christian inhabitants confirmed to have grown by 25.71%, the Hindu inhabitants grew by 70.62%, and the inhabitants of scheduled castes elevated exponentially by 157.58% between 1998 and 2017. In distinction, the Ahmadi inhabitants decreased by 35.71%, and folks falling into the class of “different religions” drastically declined by 60%.

Peter Jacob, the Govt Director CSJ stated that the distrust within the final inhabitants census 2017 expressed by the political events and marginalised teams may solely be addressed by correct preparations and participatory accountability.