Census and Delimitation Challenges in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Improvement Ahsan Iqbal, with the support of a said that if the elections are to be held during the stipulated time, then it could only be possible based on the last census carried out in 2017. Consequently, the federal minister made these remarks on Geo Information’s show “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” when Shahzeb Khanzada asked about the legal issues arising due to the delay in notifying the digital census, which concluded on May 15. The provisional census results indicate the population has reached 250 million. Seats in the National Assembly must be allocated based on population as per the last official census (Article 51, Constitution).
However, notified results by CCI leave insufficient time for ECP’s four-month delimitation process. Election preparations face challenges. Coalition govt lacks two-thirds majority in NA for constitutional amendment on seat adjustments. Ahsan Iqbal told the anchorperson that the census results were scheduled to be notified by April 30. Nevertheless, the minister mentioned that the provinces requested several extensions to the ultimate date because discrepancies were identified during the enumeration process. Therefore, the provinces sought additional time to address and rectify the issues to ensure accurate and reliable census results.
Census, Delimitation, and Elections in Pakistan
The committee of demographers recommended investigating areas with undercounts or overcounts in population. They sought assistance from SUPARCO for this purpose. However, the final census revealed an irregular increase in population in some areas. Therefore, they had to ensure the results’ genuineness as they were to be presented in CCI. Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that even if the census is finalized immediately, it won’t be possible before July 30. Hence, after the new census, delimitation will proceed, and the ECP will make the final decision on the election date. Timely census & delimitation are crucial for on-time elections & fair representation in the National Assembly.
Additionally, Federal minister, after rejecting Punjab and KPK polls, reveals CCI’s decision for fresh census-based elections. “If elections are to be held, they must be conducted based on the previous census. It isn’t possible to release the census results based on the new election schedule.” Therefore, the minister stated that a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, backed by a confirms a transition to caretaker setup after the term ends. Moreover, he opposes poll delay, warning of prolonged uncertainty and an economic crisis.
Source: https://thepakistancorner.com/elections-to-be-held-on-basis-of-2017-census-planning-minister/
