CM Sindh expresses serious reservations on census results

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that he had expressed his serious reservations on the population census results when they were presented in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting.

The chief minister was speaking to media at the residence of Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Khwaja Izharul Hassan, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after Eid prayers.

“We will fight our (Sindh) case in consultation and consensus with all the political parties,” he said.

He said that the provisional census results were presented in the CCI meeting held before Eid, and he had expressed his reservations over it.

“I had expressed my reservation when I saw the results in which population of Lahore was shown to have increased from five million to 11 million while the population of Karachi increased from 10 million to 14 million,” he said which was quite surprising for him.

CM Sindh said that he had written a letter to federal minister Ishaq Dar when the census process had started and had urged him to direct the census teams to give a ccopy ofhead counts to the concerned family on the spot.

“It was necessary and important to make the process transparent and easier for verification but sorry to say the federal government did not listen to him,” he said.

He added the census blocks were made from a group of 250 to 300 houses. “Had they [census teams] given them copy of their head counts to the concerned families it would have become quite easier to counter check the population in a block through the copies available with them,” he said.

CM Sindh said they have planned to consult all the political parties on this matter (census results) to evolve a joint strategy with the consensus to fight out case of Sindh,” he said.

He added that the Pakistan People’s Party had reservations at the early stage and had filed suit in court.

Replying to a question, CM Sindh said that the provincial assembly has enacted a law to keep record of the people coming from other areas.

“This is a cosmopolitan city where people of different languages and areas and even from other countries live,” he said,

Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that it was the prayers of the people which saved him. He urged the people to pray for the constable and the child who killed in the attack.

Latter, CM Sindh accompanied by PPP leaders, and Khwaja Izharul Hassan visited the residence of Muhammad Kamran, the father of Arsal killed in the attack, and offered condolence.

He assured him that the killers of his son would be brought to book. “I would be in touch with you and support you whatever you need,” he said.

It may be noted that Muhammad Kamran had also sustained a bullet injury in the attack and was shifted to hospital for treatment and was discharged about an hour before the arrival of the chief minister.

Earlier, Additional IG Karachi Mushtaq Maher briefed the chief minister about the progress in the investigation into the attack case.