SHC issues notices to CCI, PBS, others over plea challenging census results

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KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Council of Common Interests (CCI), finance secretary, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Sindh Chief Secretary and other respondents seeking their replies to a petition challenging the provisional results of the 6th census.

A division bench of SHC issued the notices during a hearing of the petition filed by a citizen Iqbal Kazmi, requesting the court to order fresh census under the supervision of a judicial commission.

The petition stated that the results of the census were not accurate and were in violation with the rights of people adding that the rights should not be determined on the basis of their language, ethnicity, and religion.

He pleaded to the court to direct the authorities concerned to carry out a fresh census exercise under the supervision of a judicial commission to ensure transparency across the process. He further requested them to stay the general elections, scheduled to be held in June next year, until the fresh census has not been conducted.

After hearing preliminary arguments, the bench issued notices to the official respondents of the concerned government entities and federal and provincial law officers.