ISLAMABAD: The government is preparing to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) before its tenure concludes next month. During the meeting, it might present the results of the digital population census for a final decision.
Three possibilities arise after the census results are presented: the results may be rejected due to severe flaws identified by stakeholders in the CCI meeting, or they may be approved. Another consequence could be the delay of elections following the delimitation exercise.
The third possibility involves forming a committee to resolve lingering disputes and find a solution acceptable to all stakeholders.
Choosing one of these three options will have consequences. If there is a plan to delay the general elections at any level, the digital census results might be approved.
If the CCI grants approval even after the PDM-led regime’s tenure ends. There may be a delay of four to five months in the elections. The Election Commission might require additional time to conduct the delimitation exercise. Based on the approval census results from the CCI.
The PBS has completed the task of conducting the Post Enumeration Survey (PES). To verify the first-ever results of the digital population census in selected blocks of 48 districts. The PBS selected 2,500 blocks nationwide to recheck the counting to ensure credibility. Some results of the latest population census were intriguing, especially in Balochistan, which has a large population of Baloch nationals.
Complaints of over-counting were reported in rural parts of Sindh, while urban areas, particularly Karachi, faced complaints of undercounting. To address these issues, the census timeline was extended, and the Post Enumeration Survey was conducted. However, the results could not be confirmed, leading to potential controversies.
Official sources confirms that the PBS has been tasked with preparing census results until July 31, 2023, and it will be presented before the CCI in the first week of August.
The Census Monitoring Committee (CMC) instructed the conduct of the Post Enumeration Survey (PES) from July 8, 2023, in the remaining three districts of Kohistan and snow-bound areas of KPK, AJ&K, and GB.
The PES was completed within 15 days, and the Census Monitoring Committee approves the work plan, methodology, and sample design for the survey, which uses the Stratified Sampling Technique. NADRA provided technical cooperation for the software used in the PES for testing purposes.
