PAKISTAN HOLDS RARE CENSUS
Team of 300,000 to use 55 million forms in first such exercise in 20 years,
PESHAWAR // Pakistan launched its first census in nearly two decades yesterday and security was high as thousands of enumerators backed by the military began the enormous, politically- charged count. The weeks- long process, a challenge in a country known for corruption and dysfunction, will involve a team of more than 300,000 people and 55 million forms – as well as a second, separate form distributed by the military.
“It’s a very hectic process, but we are ready for it,” said Nadeem Ehsan, a teacher wearing a yellow Pakistan Census 2017 jacket in Peshawar. “We had some reservations about security initially but we were assured about it by the government,” he said, describing the process as a “noble cause”.
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country, with an estimated 200 million people, but has not held a census since 1998 because of years of bickering between politicians.
The count will be the basis for revising political boundaries, parliamentary seat allocations and finances as the country gears up for a general election next year – a prospect that has raised fears of power bases and federal funding. Punjab province, for example, could end up with its political grip weakened as a result of its population not growing at a similar rate to other provinces.
Ethnic Baloch fear they will become a minority in their own province, sparsely- populated Balochistan, because of an influx of Pashtuns – including refugees from Afghanistan whose nationality is difficult to determine because falsified documents are widespread.
The count will also give a clearer picture about religious minority numbers in the Mus- lim-majority country as well as numbering the trans- gender population for the first time.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics will deploy about 119,000 people, including 84,000 enumerators: teachers and officials who will go door- to- door to count homes and then individuals.
The army said it will dispatch up to 200,000 troops for the exercise, including 44,000 participating directly in the census-taking and making a parallel count using a second form.