Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has said that the Population Census being conducted in 2016 would be completed in three weeks time. Chief Statistician PBS Asif Bajwa informed the meeting presided over by the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to review the work plan for the upcoming 6th Population and Housing Census 2016 that the actual census activity would commence in the last week of March 2016 and would continue for around three weeks.
He added that the Provincial Education Departments have been taken on board while fixing the time schedule of the census keeping in view the school examination schedule in the respective provinces. Finance Minister said that conducting the Census is an important activity as it helps in gauging the nature and strengths and weaknesses of the population and also dictates how the planning for the future should be made.
He hoped that the civil and military personal involved in the process will take utmost care in collection and processing of the data keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue and for ensuring transparency of the process. He directed to ensure that educational activities in schools should not be suffered due to the census exercise.
It was decided that Census 2016 will be conducted under the supervision and monitoring of civil and armed forces in order to ensure credibility and transparency of the data. The armed forces will be responsible for maintaining law and order situation during field activity and retrieval of filled in questionnaires from the field and carrying them to Islamabad for smooth conduct of the activity. While reviewing the activity calendar, Finance Minister directed that time span earmarked for certain activities was too long and must be reduced to ensure timely completion of the exercise.