All-Parties Conference (APC) sponsored by Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) asked federal government to conduct fresh population census without any further delay as progress and development of the country directly associated with it.
The conference held at Watan Kor was attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Parvez Khattak, Speaker Provincial Assembly Asad Qaisar, Provincial Minister Shah Farman, Provincial Minister Inayatullah Khan, Provincial Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, Provincial Minister Anisazeb Tahirkheli, Jamaat-e-Islami Prvincial Amir Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, ANP Provincial General Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak, PML-Q Provincial President Intekhab Khan Chamkani, Jamiat Ulema Islam Provincial Amir Maulan Gul Naseeb, Awami Workers Party Provincial President Shahab Khattak, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Provincial President Mukhtar Yousafzai, Mazdoor Kissan Party Pakistan Central President Afzal khamosh and PPP leader Zulqarnain Khan.
Talking to media persons after the conference, QWP Chairman Aftab Sherpao said that federal government should stop use delaying tactics and announce initiation of fresh census across the country. He added that it was a lame excuse by the federal government that our Army is busy in military operation and the conduct of fresh census is impossible without its participation. He maintained that government should have engaged other government institutions like Nadra and local government representatives to make it a success.
Aftab Sherpao further said that conduct of fresh census was much important if we want to bring our country on the track of progress and development as equal distribution of resources and equal share in NFC award was impossible unless and until there is transparent mechanism for conducting of population census across the country.
QWP chief said the KP province has been facing menace of terrorism for the last one and half decade and unemployment ratio has been increased manifolds. "Running of government affairs including preparation of budget and NFC awards on the basis of mere estimation and assumptions is not acceptable to us anymore," he lamented.
The participants of the conference unanimously passed resolutions, in which they demanded of the federal government to fix date for conduct of fresh census as soon as possible. They further urged that it should ensure accurate and transparent mechanism for conducting of the census and avoid estimation and assumption in this regard. Through the resolution, the participants said instead of Army's participation, the government should ensure transparent census while taking help of other government institutions. As due rights of the provinces are directly related with statistical data, the government should ensure equal distribution of resources with the help of fresh and transparent population census, it was demanded.