MQM-P to hold grand dialogue over census reservations

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Friday announced to hold grand dialogue over census reservations in Karachi and Hyderabad, ARY News reported. 

According to the sources, MQM-P is likely to hold a grand dialogue on census in Hyderabad on May 7 and in Karachi on May 15, where MQM-P will invite all stakeholders of the city.

Sources said that prominent personalities, intellectuals, businessmen, industrialists, lawyers, and social activists will also be invited to this grand dialogue, along with the leaders of political parties.

This grand dialogue on census will address the issues such as ‘miscounting’ of the houses in the census, the behavior of census staff, and the lack of transparency.

READ: MQM-P SUMMONS KEY MEETING OF LAWMAKERS, SENATORS

Last month, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has contacted Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and sought ‘proof of flaws’ in the census process.

The government’s coalition party (MQM-P) has threatened to resign from the government after several areas in Karachi and Hyderabad were “neglected during digital census”.

Later, the federal government contacted MQM-P and assured of redressal of its reservations.

The PBS officials penned down a letter to senior deputy convener of MQM-P Dr Farooq Sattar and asked to identify the areas and buildings that were ‘neglected’ in the census. The bureau assured that the census team will visit the neglected areas before April 30.

In a statement, the PBS officials said Pakistan’s first digital census was supposed to be completed by April 4, but the deadline has been increased several times due to various reasons. The latest extension in the census date was due to the Eid holidays, which pushed the deadline to April 30th.