MQM-P meets federal ministers, protests ‘irregularities in census’

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday expressed serious reservations on the ongoing digital census, demanding formation of committee to correct the statistics, ARY News reported, citing sources.

According to details, MQM-P leaders met a high-level delegation comprising of federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Saad Rafique.

Prime Minister Principal Secretary Tauqeer Shah and Chief Census Commissioner Nadeem Zafar were also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, serious reservations were expressed about the figures of the census released so far. Sources told ARY News that the MQM-P leaders also tabled the irregularities of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in digital census.

They also protested the ‘injustice’ by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led Sindh government. They demanded the federal government to “fulfill its promises and instructs the authorities concerned to count the population correctly’.

The MQM-P also demanded formation of committee for correction of statistics released so far.

Sources claimed that the federal ministers acknowledged the concerns and evidence tableted by MQM-P. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal instructed Chief Census Commissioner to resolve the matter immediately.

A day earlier, the federal government extended the date of the ongoing digital census process for the fourth time after failing to conclude the process within the given deadline.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) announced a fourth extension to the digital census process and fixed April 30 as the last date.

Prior to this development, the census process was due to be concluded in early April, however, it was first extended till April 10. Later, it was extended till April 15 for the second time and then April 20 for the third time.

According to the bureau, the fourth extension was approved to complete the verification of population data and growth rate in some districts, whereas, the institution witnessed undercounting of population in major cities.