ISLAMABAD: A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, seeking the declaration of Balochistan’s census results and their approval by the Council of Common Interests as illegal. The petitioner contends that the province’s population figures were significantly underreported by a staggering seven million.
Hassan Murtaza, the son of JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza, filed the petition, urging the court to appoint an impartial commission to thoroughly review the census results.
According to the petition, the initial reporting of the census results in Balochistan appeared accurate and consistent until May 29. However, the final figures differed significantly, lacking transparency, fairness, and adherence to established norms.
The preliminary results indicated a population of 21.7 million for the province, but this number was abruptly reduced to 14.89 million in the final count.
The petition assigns responsibility for this significant reduction to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, which is one of the respondents in the case. The petition alleges that despite sharing numerous timely updates with correct data until May 29, 2023, the respondent chose to arbitrarily and dishonestly decrease the figures without any explanation.
The petition further asserts that the final census results are a clear outcome of “tampering” intended to deprive the province of its rightful entitlements. It underscores that the accurate collection and representation of data is one of the state’s fundamental duties.
“It is not a matter of chance that such a data shift occurred, and this situation strongly suggests dishonesty and blatant discrimination against the people of Balochistan,” the petition emphasizes.
It’s noteworthy that the census results were approved shortly before the Pakistan Democratic Movement government left office in August.
