• GDA’s Goklani asks why CNIC condition waived
• LG minister suggests briefing for lawmakers

KARACHI: As several political parties had already expressed their reservation over digital census, the issue also echoed in the Sindh Assembly on Friday when an opposition lawmaker raised his party’s concerns over the ongoing exercise in the country.

However, the provincial government resolved that it would not let an injustice done to the province in the headcount, for which the data collection process had already begun as individuals can register themselves at the Self-Enumeration Portal till March 3.

As Grand Democratic Alliance’s lawmaker Nand Kumar Goklani in his call attention notice wanted the provincial government to inform the house about the steps it had taken to ensure a fair census in the province, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah told the house that the Pakistan Peoples Party had openly talked about the province’s reservations on the census at every forum.

Raising the issue of the census in the house for a third time, Mr Gokalani said that people of the province were concerned about the census as they did not know what digital census was.

He said that there were already many reservations over the sixth population census conducted in 2017 and any ‘forced’ census would never be accepted by the people.

He said that over five million people from other provinces lived in Sindh and asked as to why the requirement of the computerised national identity cards (CNICs) was done away with for the headcount.

The GDA lawmaker said that the Sindh government had not briefed the house about the steps taken to ensure a fair census.

Earlier on Feb 17, Mr Goklani had moved a call attention notice asking the planning and development minister to inform the house about steps taken to launch an awareness campaign in the province regarding the 7th digital census going to be held from March 1 to April 1. At that time, Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro could not give a reply to the satisfaction of the mover.

Then on Feb 21, the same lawmaker also moved a resolution seeking a detailed briefing to the lawmakers on the census, but it was not taken up by the house as the mover was not present when it came up for proceedings.

Responding to his call attention notice, LG Minister Nasir Shah said that the census was a very important issue and the provincial government would not sit like a silent spectator if any injustice was done to the province in the population count.

He said that the GDA MPA was not present in the house when his resolution came up as per agenda on business.

He said that the PPP had taken up the issue in the National Assembly and Senate. “PPP always openly talked about the province’s reservations on the census,” he added.

In view of the importance of the subject, the minister suggested to hold a briefing on the census issue in the house.

However, it was not decided during the proceedings when would be the briefing held as Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the sitting to Monday at 10am, suspending remaining business on agenda.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2023