HRCP demands a firm schedule for holding census from the government

Islamabad, 23 July 2016:  The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan held a National Consultation on Census today. Participants included representatives of the Federal Government, political parties, civil society organizations, academicians and experts. Speakers and participants of the consultation spoke about the processes and the mechanisms needed for holding a fair census and emphasized on the need for holding a census as soon as possible. Census is a very basic requirement of a modern state and for a multi-ethnic country like Pakistan, census is very important. Political, social and economic policies, planning for development, understanding the changing demographics of the country and allocation of resources by the federal and provincial governments can only be determined properly once there is clarity about the existing population and the headcount of every household in the country.

Participants of the consultation made the following recommendations:

The government should announce a firm schedule for holding the census as soon as possible.

The political crisis that is preventing the census from being held should be decided on the highest available constitutional forum which is the Council of Common Interest (CCI).

Modern technology, methodology and the experience of other countries should be utilized in improving the way census is conducted.

Census should be held regularly.

Census should not be politicized.

It should be ensured that Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are not left out of any format that is decided for census.

I.A. Rehman

Secretary-General

_______________________________________________

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
107-Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Lahore – 54600
Phone: (92-42) 35845969 Fax: (92-42) 35883582
eMail: hrcp@hrcp-web.org

Category: English