PSP chairman demands new census for Karachi, Hyderabad

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  • Expresses concern over contrast in NADRA’s 2013 report and latest census, suggesting 4.86 million decrease in population

  • Says no post-census audit yet been conducted

 

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday demanded a new census to be ordered by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Karachi and Hyderabad after declaring the previous one, conducted in March 2017, void, a private media outlet reported.

Kamal claimed that the population of Karachi was under-counted in the census under a plan. “National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) in its 2013 report mentioned Karachi population count at 20.14 million, so how it could be reduced to 16 million in 2018 as per the new census,” he questioned.

He said people from across the country were coming to reside in Karachi. He regretted that no audit of the census was conducted as promised earlier. Kamal equated the ‘flawed’ census results to ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Karachi.

He insisted that seven million people were left out of the census. “I request Prime Minister Imran Khan to declare results of Karachi and Hyderabad census as void.”

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) must win more seats from Karachi after another census, “we have no problem with it, but you should not win the way you have won now,” he added.

Like federal subjects were devolved to provinces under the 18th amendment, he demanded, that 19th amendment is introduced to further devolve powers to districts from provinces.

He said, “You cannot rule out disenfranchisement and a sense of deprivation among people.”