KARACHI – The ongoing housing enumeration process in the province could be extended if it is not completed within the scheduled date of April 19, Provincial Census Commissioner Noor Muhammad Leghari said on Monday. However, while briefing PPP lawmakers and later speaking at a press conference at the Sindh Assembly building, the provincial census commissioner hoped that the process will be completed within time.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Law Minister Ayaz Soomro attended the briefing. Most lawmakers including Khuhro expressed their dissatisfaction over the housing enumeration process in the province and feared that most houses would be left without count as the enumeration staff requires people to show national identity cards and the joint family system prevails in the province.
Leghari said that around 40 percent of enumeration work has been completed in the province, 60 percent would be completed by April 15 and the remaining by April 19.
He said that Sindh Chief Secretary Subhan Memon has convened a meeting of the district coordination officers (DCOs) of the province on April 15. “If the DCOs ask for an extension in the date, the federal government would be recommended to approve this move,” he added.
He said that during the process, three common complaints have been received – filling of data with pencils, using photostat forms and the enumeration staff insisting people to show their national identity cards. The commissioner pointed out that showing the national identity card is not mandatory during the housing census process. “The staff asks for it only to match data with the NADRA record,” he added.
Regarding complaints of not including several houses existing in a boundary or traditional premises in the rural areas of the province, Leghari said that the enumeration staff would seek the help of local elders in seeking permission for entering the premises. He appealed to the community elders to play their role to achieve this goal.
The census commissioner admitted that complaints have been received about political interference during the housing census process, mostly from Karachi and Hyderabad.
“PPP leader Taj Haider has also lodged such a complaint,” he added. He said that the Census Commission has contacted Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Chief Secretary Subhan Memon in this connection and requested them to approach the political parties to help address such complaints. He said that a meeting of the Provincial Coordination Committee has also been convened today (Tuesday) in which the issue of political interference would be discussed and necessary decisions would be made.
Leghari said that the issue of illegal immigrants would also be discussed at the meeting keeping in view the NADRA report that says that around 1.3 million fake national identity cards have been issued. He said that the Sindh chief secretary would approach the federal government to dicuss this matter after getting details from NADRA. He said that the Provincial Coordination Committee is a high-powered body under the census law headed by the chief secretary and having different members. He said that no unconcerned people are authorised to fill or receive data forms and the staff found involved in any irregularities would be punished.
Under the law, he added, such people could be sentenced for six months with a fine of Rs 15,000.
Responding to a question, he said that so far, no demand has been received for conducting the housing census under the supervision of the army. To another question, he said that the Sindh is a multi-linguistic province therefore difference complaints would come naturally and they would be addressed. Speaking on the occasion, Khuhro took notice of the complaints lodged by people and directed the census commissioner to ensure that the house counting process is carried out properly and no house should is left out.
He further said that the confusion of having national identity cards or card numbers should also be made clear to the people because having an identity card is not compulsory for the house census. He further said that as many flats in one building in Karachi are counted as a separate house, the same pattern should be adopted in the rural areas, where there are many houses within a one mohalla or a house as families live in a joint family system. Khuhro expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of the monitoring and complaint centres set up at the DDO Revenue offices across the province and later on the suggestions of Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, it was decided that all DDOs Revenue along with their staff would present in their offices during the house census process so that the performance of the centres could improve.
Former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza pointed out that that the majority of the people in the rural areas are still without national identity cards.
Khuhro told the census commissioner if the census employees are facing any difficulty in the process, the government would facilitate them so that they can carry out their work properly.
