Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is not willing to go ahead with the re-verification process of the sixth census results as agreed by all political parties in a meeting presided by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on December 15, 2017. This was revealed to Business Recorder on Saturday by Senator Taj Haider who is one of the four-member committee constituted to finalize the procedure along with the PBS officials for re-verification of 5 percent data of the census results.
Other members of the oversight committee include Senator Hasil Bizenjo, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed and Senator Mushahidullah Khan. Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had raised concerns over provisional results of the census data in Karachi and rural areas of Sindh and demanded re-verification of at least five percent data to ascertain the authenticity of the findings.
Haider accused the PBS officials of using delaying tactics to start the re-verification process and stated that these officials told the oversight committee members in a meeting held on January 2 that if the audit of the results is carried out as per demand of the members; "this will have major impact on distribution of resources among the provinces."
According to 9-point agreement signed on December 15, 2017 which is available with Business Recorder, the PBS was directed to carry out Post Enumeration Survey (PES) of 5 percent randomly computer selected population blocks.
It was decided in the meeting of all parliamentary party leaders held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that the final report of the PES would be submitted within 30 days of the start of the process while the enumerators will work on holidays too. "Deviations with the provisional census 2017 figures beyond plus minus one percent shall be incorporated in the final count of Census 2017," it was decided as per the agreement.
In light of this agreement, all opposition political parties agreed to vote for a delimitation bill in the Senate to allow the delimitation of constituencies under provisional results of the census. The bill was finally approved by the opposition-dominant Senate on December 19. Taj Haider said that the PBS is not willing to follow the process of re-verification as decided by all political parties.
"The PBS officials fear that if they go ahead with re-verification of the census results, this will expose their incompetence and data already collected through fraudulent means," he said. He said that opposition parties in the Senate agreed to vote for the delimitation bill so that the general elections could be held on time but now the PBS is violating the agreement signed by all political parties including the ruling party.
Talking to Business Recorder Shaikh Salahuddin of MQM-P also expressed concern over the stalemate on the re-verification process as promised by the Prime Minister, saying that "it was unfortunate to see PBS deviating from its earlier position with regard to the re-verification process of the census data."
He said that the provisional results of the census have serious flaws and the MQM-P has already expressed its concerns about it at all appropriate forums including the Parliament. "It is a serious issue and the government needs to take it seriously," he said.