Karachi:Sindh High Court (SHC) here Wednesday ordered to issue notice to Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) to file their comments regarding a constitutional petition filed by Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor challenging delay in announcement of the final results of recent national population census.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Irshad Hussain Bukhari heard the constitutional petition number 4452/2020. Lawyer of the petitioner Irfan Aziz Advocate submitted that the final results of the nation census are not being released by the government with an intention not to hold the local government elections in Pakistan. The bench ordered to issue notice to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to file their comments.
In his petition, Altaf Shakoor, making Federation Of Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) respondents, had submitted that the human capital is the most important asset of any society and conducting periodical national census is important to compile a numerical profile of this human capital and conduct national planning and related decision-making processes at all levels on the basis of this data. He submitted that the Constitution of Pakistan gives an obligation of conducting census after every 10 years.
He submitted that the first census was held after the independence of the country in 1951, the second in 1961, and the third in 1972. The fourth population census was scheduled to be conducted in March 1981 and the fifth one was due in 1991 but could be held in 1998. The recent sixth census was held in April 2017 as per the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It began on 15 March 2017 and ended on 25 May 2017. It was conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The petitioner submitted that, though the process was completed on time, but the provisional results were delayed by a month. Resultantly, different political parties raised questions about the credibility of the results.
The petitioner said that the census results also play a crucial role in the parliamentary democracy. The Article 51(5) of the Constitutional of Pakistan 1973 says: “The seats in the National Assembly shall be allocated to each Province, the Federally Administration Tribal Areas and the Federal Capital on the basis of population in accordance with the last preceding census officially published.”
That, the population census has always been contentious in Pakistan as political parties in smaller provinces, especially Sindh, believe that their numbers have been manipulated to deny them their rightful share in federal resources. Due to the similar reservations allegations about procedural flaws, the results of an earlier census, held in 2011 were annulled.
That, these reservations and allegations consequently resulted into judicial intervention, and the authorities were directed to conduct 2017 national population census with army’s tacit support.
That, like past this time also different political parties expressed reservations over the validity of the census data, especially in Sindh, due to the absence of a post-enumeration survey.
That, the Sindh Assembly has also shown reservations on the census results. In November 2017, the members of both treasury and opposition benches in the Sindh Assembly passed an unanimous resolutions to convey the reservations to the federal government on the census outcome, claiming that the province population was shown 10 million less in the head count surveys.
That, in December, 2019, the Sindh Assembly in another resolution demanded the federal government to conduct census audit of five percent areas of the country as decided in the Council of Common Interest meeting presided over by then Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in 2018.
That, as the elected local bodies have already completed their term on 29th August, 2020, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is under an obligation to hold the next local government elections within 120 days after the expiry of the term of elected local government bodies, i.e., 29th August, 2020.
That, as the delimitation of parliamentary seats is going to be based on this census, non-redressal of the reservations of political parties and delay in final results has put a big question mark on holding of local bodies elections, especially in Sindh.
That, the completion of the process of 5 percent validation exercise of the 6th national census and announcement of its results is still pending.
The Petitioner prayed that in the larger interest of the public and to ensure uphold of law, supremacy of Constitution and continuity of democratic process in Pakistan: The honorable court may please order completion of the post-enumeration audit of five per cent census blocks of the 6th national population census at the earliest. He further prayed to order, announcement of the final results of the 6th national population census at the earliest. He prayed to order announcing the new delimitation of constituencies, based on the final results of the 2017.
He also prayed to order the holding of the new local bodies elections in Pakistan including Sindh as per their schedule, which is within 120 days after the expiry of the term of elected local government bodies, i.e., 29th August, 2020.
Later, talking to media, PDP Chairman Altaf Shakoor said in the national census the population of Karachi is deliberately shown less than its actual population. He said almost half of the population of the megacity is not included in the census figures. He said this is injustice to Karachi and its people. He said Karachi is the revenue engine and economic hub of Pakistan. It has always played a crucial role in economic growth of Pakistan, says a PDP release here Wednesday.
He said the attitude of the federal and Sindh governments to Karachi is just negative. He said unless actual population of the megacity is counted properly it would not get its due share in development funds. He said corruption and mismanagement have already harmed the civic infrastructure of Karachi and it is being now counted amongst the most backward megacities of the world. He said his party PDP would continue to raise voice for the rights of Karachi and Karachiites.