ISLAMABAD, March 15: The first phase of the sixth national population census – the first in 19 years – began in 63 districts across the country from Wednesday.
In this first phase, from March 15 to April 15, the census will be conducted in 16 districts of Punjab, eight districts of Sindh, 14 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15 districts of Balochistan, five districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
In Karachi, President Mamnoon Hussain officially inaugurated the process of the census. He personally wrote the number on the State Guest House. During the first three days of the first phase, officials will conduct house count. In the second phase, headcount will take place. In the second phase, which will commence on April 25 and culminate on May 25, the census process will be conducted in 21 districts each of Punjab and Sindh, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 in Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, and five each in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Census teams will conduct the process from 8AM to 5PM each day. Census reports will be completed in two months. Assistant commissioner census Abdul Naveed, while speaking with Geo News, informed that 4,897 civilians and an equal number of Pakistan Army personnel will be participating in the process. The civilian and Army personnel will fill out separate forms. Assistant commissioner Abdul Naveed further informed that the Pakistan Army will maintain the data received for each day. A control room has also been set up in DC Office for monitoring of the census. According to chief statistician Asif Bajwa, as many as 118,000 enumerators from different departments, including the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, have been trained for the process. 175,000 Army personnel have been deployed in the districts for the first phase of the census. One Army soldier would be attached with one enumerator throughout the exercise and they would be provided proper security cover-up by the Army. – Agencies
