A parliamentary panel on Tuesday directed the Statistic Division to hold population census every 10 years as per law and legislation should be done in this respect so that it could not be delayed. Monitoring and Implementation Committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examined audit reports of Statistics Division for years 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2008-09. Rana Afzaal Hussain was the convenor of the committee.
Secretary Statistic Division Asif Bajwa informed the committee that holding population census after 10 years is not mandatory under the law. Population Census Law 2011 does not make it mandatory for the federal government to hold the population census in specific time. He explained that population census was last due in 2008 and preparation was completed in 2006. However, it was cancelled at eleventh hour.
The Council of Common Interest (CCI), he said, decided to hold population census in April 2016. He further said that the Statistic Division has 3,500 staff and require additional staff to carry out population census.
Convener Committee remarked that it was unjust that previous governments did not hold census, but the staff is drawing salaries for many years. Member Committee Pervaiz Malik said that in local bodies' election voters seem more than the population of area. Without population census one could not get the idea of voters' strength, he added. Asif Bajwa further revealed to the committee that a proposal has been under consideration for adopting a parallel system of counting the household and population and many countries have adopted the system. He explained that with the help of NADARA, a system can be put in place where the people will fill in forms or may register themselves. The committee rejected the proposals on the ground that 30 percent Pakistan does not have CNICs.
The committee was informed that Statistic Division awarded a contract worth Rs 110 million to Midas Advertisement Company for advertisement of 1998 population census without calling tenders. Officials of the Division said that they invited tender through Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The committee objected why the tender was floated through Ministry of Information as it was released by Statistic Division from its own funds. The committee directed Ministry of Information and Law Division to appear in the next meeting.
The committee also examined the audit reports of Narcotics Control Division. The official of Narcotics informed the committee that production of opium has increased in recent years. The production of opium has increased to 225,000 hectare which had been 7000 hectare in 2001. Around 40 to 45 percent drug is exported via Pakistan. They argued that the division has no resources to run its operations smoothly. Citing the last year United Nation's report, the officials said that 6.7 million was new drug users in addition to 4 million regular users in Pakistan.
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