Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been moved against the 6th Population Census and was asked to take extraordinary steps to ensure the true reflection of the population of FATA in the 6th census incorporating all tribal living in various parts of the country.
Samreena Khan, a social activist, from South Waziristan, submitted the writ petition under article 199 of the constitution on Tuesday.
President Mamnoon Hussain through the finance secretary; Statistics Division secretary/chief statistician, KP governor through the principal secretary to the governor; KP chief secretary, FATA additional chief secretary, NADRA HQ through its chairman; and Election Commission of Pakistan through chief election commissioner were made respondents in the petition.
Samreena said that as per directions of Supreme Court (SC), the census process has to be completed within two months commencing on March 15; however, a large number of FATA people are still living a life as IDPs/TDPs in various parts of the country, which is going to hinder the actual representation of FATA in census report; and deny people of FATA due share in NFC Award and representation in national, provincial assemblies and local bodies.
Therefore, she prayed that the intervention of this court for provision of any other relief that this court may deem appropriate in the circumstances.
Talking to this scribe, she said that FATA has an estimated population of 4.38 million according to 1998 census, but now according to ground realities, the population has reached up to 10 million.
Because, she said that even the NADRA verified Temporarily Displaced Persons’ (TDPs) of South Waziristan Agency were 497,868 and North Waziristan Agency were 730, 674.
She said that to eradicate extremism from the country, the twelfth point of National Action Plan has suggested that “Administrative and development reforms in FATA with an immediate focus on repatriation of IDPs”, which has not been given practical shape till date.
She said that Huqooq Qabail Convention demanded the government to give FATA a representation in the provincial assembly and give 6pc share in NFC Award, besides ensuring speedy repatriation of IDPs.
Samreena said that the Cabinet Division has also mentioned repatriation of TDPs before April 30, 2017, along with an allocation of 3pc of the gross federal divisible pool on annual basis for the implementation of FATA development plan.
All Parties Conference on FATA also demanded an appropriate share in NFC Award, seats in the provincial assembly and for increase in the number of seats for FATA in the parliament, which can be achieved only when actual population of FATA is reflected through the census.
She said that Ministry of Finance Parliamentary Secretary Rana Afzal stated that population census will be conducted on the basis of CNIC but there is a great percentage of block cases in FATA in general, and South Waziristan in particular.
Besides, Rana Afzal said that issue pertaining to settlement and repatriation of IDPs of SWA has been resolved in 2016 which is against the ground realities as a large number of IDPs of SWA, Parachinar, Kurrum are still residing out of their respective areas, who cannot go back before June due to their destroyed houses and harsh weather conditions, she added.
Talking to Pakistan Today, JUI-F MNA Jamalud-Din said that it is a serious issue; as on one hand, the government officials are saying that there are no IDPs in the country while on the other, it was revealed in the last KP apex committee meeting in Peshawar that 11pc IDPs are yet to repatriate to their respective areas.
